Dare Babalola
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has revealed that he felt like taking drastic action during a recent encounter with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his 65th birthday celebration.
Fayose, during a recent interview with AF24News, claimed that Obasanjo’s speech at the event was a personal attack, leaving him feeling disrespected and provoked.
In a shocking revelation, Fayose admitted, “I felt like collecting the mic and hitting it on Obasanjo’s head.”
He described the moment as a test of his maturity and self-control, emphasising that he chose not to react impulsively out of respect for the occasion and the office Obasanjo once held.
The tension between Fayose and Obasanjo is rooted in their past political differences, including Fayose’s removal from office during Obasanjo’s tenure.
Narrating what transpired between him and the former head of state, Fayose said he visited Obasanjo some days before his birthday celebration but clarified that the purpose of his visit was to make peace with him, not to invite the former president to his function.
“I did not originally go to invite Baba, I just chose to make peace,” the former Ekiti governor said.
Fayose stated that prior to the event, he did not imagine that the former president would disparage him at his function.
He highlighted the role Osita Chidoka, who served as Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps under Obasanjo played to ensure he visited the former president.
He narrated, “Two weeks to my birthday, I wrote so many names. Some we don’t talk again. Some I don’t even have their number. Like the case of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, I don’t have his number. I called some to say ‘I am 65 and it’s great pleasure to tell you that whatever differences were had in the past, let’s put it behind, because when we die, whatever has set us apart will no longer matter’. So I personally took position to reach out to everybody. ‘If I’ve offended you, if you’ve offended me, let us put it behind’.
“In the case of former President Obasanjo, at the point I didn’t have this number, so I called a friend, Osita, I wanted to invite him to the party. That was the name Obasanjo was mentioned. I told Osita, I am now 65, I’m inviting him, I’m inviting former President Jonathan. So he asked, ‘what about Baba’. I said, I don’t want issues, but it will be a good thing. We’ll not have battles resolved in heaven, on a good conscience, in good faith, I called Baba. It was Osita that gave me Baba’s number, and as I called Baba, Baba said, ‘Taniyen, who is that?’ In humility, I said, ‘Baba, it is Fayose’. He replied, Okay, Osita called me and said, you want to talk to me? Do you need Osita to talk to me?’ Whereas it was in the course of a conversation between me and Osita that his name came and I told Osita that I don’t have his number, he said he will send me his number, but he wants to talk to him. And Osita said he will be expecting my call, that was why I called.”
He continued, “I never called to go and apologise to Baba. I did not offend him. He was the one that removed me from office. He was the one that declared state of emergency in Ekiti. If I say any at all should apologise, it is Obasanjo. Nonetheless, he is an elderly man. I called him, and he said, You don’t need Osita to call me, anytime, you can call me. How else could a man reach out? I did it in good faith.”
Fayose regretted inviting the former president to his 65th birthday party saying, “If I knew this was how it will end, what do I need an Obasanjo for? Am I contesting election? Do I need his validation?”
He claimed that Obasanjo sees no good in anybody other than himself, citing his remarks when Senator Buruji Kashamu died and his alleged attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, among others.
“Baba is 87. Baba is always attacking everybody. He attacked IBB, he called Atiku so many names. When Buruji died, same thing. I know him, Baba sees no good in anybody. Even in his comment on that day, Baba was saying, I know you have certificate. We know who do not have certificate. Who was he referring to? Apparently, he was sarcastic trying to refer to the president of Nigeria, which nobody can do it to him.”
The former governor rebuked Obasanjo for disrespecting him after taking $20,000 from him a day after they met at his residence.
“The next day, I had to go and change money. Changed $20,000 twice, $10,000 each and I gave it to Foluso that day and she went to give the money to Baba. How can you take somebody’s money and come and be disparaging that person?” He wondered.
Furthermore, he accused Obasanjo of hypocrisy and disrespect alleging that the former president, after receiving him at his residence, later used a public forum to attack him.
According to Fayose, Obasanjo attended a function in Ibadan and publicly referred to him as “one former governor who has been insulting me, abusing me.”
Fayose expressed suspicion over Obasanjo’s intentions, questioning why he would use a public platform to make such comments about him.
Fayose also claimed that Obasanjo requested to take the vote of thanks at the birthday celebration, despite not being a member of his family or a close acquaintance.
He alleged that Obasanjo attempted to hijack the program, insisting on speaking last and even asking the Vice President to yield the stage.
The former governor expressed outrage over Obasanjo’s comments, particularly his remark referring to him and his wife as bad children.
Fayose questioned Obasanjo’s authority to make such a statement, emphasising that the comment was unwarranted and a sign of disrespect.
The former governor said, “Baba said he wanted to take the vote of thanks. You are not a member of my family. I didn’t grow up with you. At that junction, I became suspicious of a few things. And Baba said he will be the one to speak last, and that my son should say why we’re here. So I went to the advanced party of the Vice President, because you can’t speak after the Vice President, the President that must speak last and depart. I now call Baba again. The president should speak last. He said ‘don’t worry, I will manage him’.
“So when Baba was called, Baba told the moderator that he should rather call the Vice President, the innocent vice president didn’t know, went to take his speech and was about to depart. Baba said he should sit down. He now called me and my wife to come and stand for one hour, 10 minutes and. How do you say to a man on his 65th birthday e kin se omoluabi (You’re not good children)? Who is he to say that? In his capacity as what? Is that meant to be vote of thanks?”
He added, “Nobody will do that naturally and get away.”
“I remember when we went to former Governor Oyinlola when he was doing Thanksgiving. Former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, was seated. Former Governor Alao Akala was alive. I entered the room, I was greeting everybody. Akala now said, Baba was seated. I said, which Baba? Baba now said, ‘he cannot greet me, he’s a bastard’. He was referring to me. I said ‘you too, Obasanjo, you are a bastard, really. You are the father of all the bastards,” Fayose said.
Fayose further slammed Obasanjo, insisting that he deserved the derogatory words he used for the former president in the ‘thank you’ message he sent after the birthday,
“On the day of my birthday, I kept my cool so when I got home that night, I composed a very nice text to remind him that I agree with the person who said he is supposed to be in the zoo. I don’t think my message was harsh because of what he said to me, honour comes from top to down.”
He sarcastically referred to Obasanjo as an upright man, saying that the former military head of state always sees his attitude as right.
“He is always right, he is the corrupt free president, he is not a thief but he confessed that day that he collected N10m for the library through the governor forum,” he said.
He revealed that Obasanjo has “returned my $20,000 and I thank him for returning it, it’s in my hand now and I’ve changed it to Naira”.
Fayose continued, “Since he has admitted he collected N10 million from me through the governor’s forum, he should return it, I want my money. You can’t be disparaging people and chopping their money, that’s 419. I didn’t send the message to the press, I sent it to him, he was the one who published it and I’m very happy. Obasanjo has dementia.”
He dismissed the possibility of pursuing any relationship with Obasanjo but disclosed that he had forgiven the former president.
“That’s the end of our relationship, he removed about six governors, including me and he will come out and condemn Tinubu. I have forgiven him but I will never make the same mistake of visiting him,” Fayose added.
