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In 2006, I visited Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland in Abeokuta and I advised him publicly not to be the Oba of governors but Oba of all the citizens.
In 2006, I visited Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland in Abeokuta and I advised him publicly not to be the Oba of governors but Oba of all the citizens. I cited as an immoral example, a pathetic situation where students of Ilaro polytechnic were attacked and some murdered on the allegation that the first lady of Ogun State was attacked. Instead of visiting both the governor and the parents of the murdered and injured students, Obas Dapo Tejuosho and Michael Sonariwo the Akarigbo of Remoland were the first to call on the governor, ignoring the parents of the killed students. I counseled the Alake not to follow their depraved footsteps. Even though, I was deeply persuaded that the calling to speak was often a vocation of agony, I still broke the silence of the night to tell Alake nothing but the truth. I spoke with all the humility that is appropriate to my limited vision, having today in mind.
Thereafter, Otunba Dipo Dina, an opponent of Gbenga Daniel was attacked by the governors' thug in Ilaro. Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his followers were attacked right there in Abeokuta by the governors' thugs, and Amosun was shot at close range in an historical event tagged 'Car Wash'. Many vehicles were burnt and many citizens were killed and matchetted. My handsome brother, Lanre Tejusosho, an opponent of Iyabo Obasanjo and the first son of Oba Dapo Tejuosho was attacked and almost killed. When he was interviewed by the Press on the matter, the extent to which he was dazed made him forgot how to spell Iyabo Obasanjo's name. Shortly before the gubernatorial elections in April of 2007, Alake was aware of the cruel irony that a simple debate was not allowed by Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, instead of the debate, it was gunshot and citizens were stabbed. All these events were proper and meet to Alake and other un-royal fathers in Ogun State, in as much as they are getting paid.
When the members of the Ogun State House of Assembly was considering impeaching Gbenga Daniel, Oba Michael Sonariwo, the Akarigbo of Ijebu-Remo and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona called for lynching and assassination of members of the House of Assembly who might dare the impeachment. On all these incidents, Alake, other Obas, and un-elderly council of elders saw nothing wrong with Daniel and the irresponsible act of these Kabiyesis continue to empower Daniel. As a matter of fact, Alake called Egbetokun and warned him not to dare it, even though the governor was alleged to have been incurably tainted with corruption and several illegalities. Thereafter, the Ogun State House of Assembly was broken into and the documents serving as sufficient appropriate evidence to impeach the governor were carted away, Alake still did not see anything wrong with Daniel. None of the Kabiyesis including Alake viewed silence as a betrayal of their subjects.
Since 2003, I have been shouting that Daniel was intolerant and for that my life has been attempted three times. My supporters were injured and my house destroyed. None of the Obas, moved beyond their selfish interest, based on the mandates of their conscience, to the high grounds of vision that the State government is cowing everybody into submission and it is being embarrassingly intolerant. Alake and the other Obas continued to give approbation to a reprobate in Oke Imosan who grouped all of them in the assembly of incorrigible men because of their stomachs and to the astonishment of their subjects who are wallowing in poverty. Today, Daniel feels that what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander, and he has extended a lesser maltreatment to one of his ardent supporters in wickedness just for exercising his civil duty. We are now hearing crucify him! No, Daniel owes Alake no apology.
As for Oba Michael Sonariwo, the Akarigbo of Ijebuland, his statement alone is a testimony to his avarice, naked selfish interest, lack of moral vision, and it mirrors a man who did not deserve to be a Chief in Ijebu-Remo, were most things in Nigeria not have been sold to the highest bidder. Like Daniel, he was imposed on Ijebu-Remo. Since his impositions, all sorts of calamities have befalling Sagamu. When Gbenga Daniel and I were contesting against Chief Olusegun Osoba, the former governor of Ogun State, Oba Sonariwo did not want to see either Daniel or myself because of his stomach. Because Daniel is in power today, all the maltreatments meted on Chief Osoba by Daniel is now appropriate in Sonariwo's view. The fact that Nigeria is sinking in the lake of disappointment is a salient evidence of lack of principled elders.
To the deposed Chairman of the PDP Elders Forum, Chief Sule Onabiyi who spoke from London where he went for medical check up, Iyabo Obasanjo was a Commissioner of Health under Daniel. Then Daniel was the best governor in Nigeria, but today, he could not do ordinary medical check up in Ogun State. Daniel for some reasons stuck to his gun on certain issues and he all of a sudden becomes a rude governor in the eyes of Onabiyi. No sir, Chief Onabiyi we are not fools. Onabiyi mentioned the names of those who carried guns to steal ballot boxes in order to ensure Daniel's victory in 2007 as illustrious sons and daughters of Egba. I disagree with Onabiyi that such mischievous and crocked characters represent my people in Egba.
The attempt of both Chief Onabiyi and Akarigbo to make the issue Ijebu versus Egba should be rebuffed by the citizens of Ogun State. I besiege the citizens of Ogun State to respect the saying that there is no honor among crooks and rogues. When they are all sharing the treasure of Ogun State, it was not shared based on ethnicity in the manner that it would trickle down to the masses. We should therefore tell both Onabiyi and Sonariwo to direct their children to return from London and America to do their fight for them.
Signed:
Ogbeni Lanre Banjo
Ogun State Gubernatorial Candidate, 2007