â€œTo the people of the Western Region A LEADER IS MADE, NOT BORN. He is expected to justify his leadership by his personal attributes, and by his works for  the good of the people.”

CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO  in his speech “The Blessings of Courage” at the Oyo State House of Assembly in Ibadan on January 16,1980. 

I have just read the piece by Okey Ndibe in NVS and in the Guardian of December 29, 2005 and Reuben Abati the following day regarding the crisis in Oyo State and the role of the strongman of Ibadan politics, Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu. Going through the articles I could not but spare some time out of my tight schedule to respond to some misleading assumptions embedded in those two articles, “This god called Adedibu” and “One State, two Governors.” 

In as much as I am willing to concede to Okey Ndibe and Reuben Abati that they were concerned about law and order which seemed to have been their theme in that piece, I contend  that their comparison of what is going on in Oyo State to that of Anambra State is weird and mischievous. Law and order is important and we all desire such, but I posit that they both came across in that article as “egbodo” yam eaters who are in search of companions.  

The two of them, Ndibe and Abati seemed to be more excited on behalf of Chris Ubah by looking for companions for him rather than allow the variables peculiar to the Oyo State situation be their guide in their commentaries. By comparing the roles of Chief Adedibu to that of Chris Ubah, both writers are unwittingly trying to suggest that the contextual variables involved in the two situations are the same. As a result of this they ended up making some false assumptions which included the following: 
 

• That Chief Lamidi Adedibu rigged the election of Chief Rasheed Ladoja as governor;

• That Chief Adedibu is expecting some financial returns from the Oyo state coffers;

• That Chief Adedibu by instigating impeachment, the process allowed by the constitution, is comparable to a criminal like Chris Ubah who kidnapped a Chief Executive of a State;

• And that Chief Adedibu is a threat to peace and order in Oyo State.

It is my view that the above assumptions are wrong and that it is very wrong for these two writers to compare Chief Adedibu to Chris Ubah because the variables involved in the two situations are as different as the personalities involved. Also their overall motives, aside from power and control, are translucently different. The point here is that power and control is not necessarily bad if used to propel the interest of the people as sanctioned by them. 

Towards the end of the tenure of the former AD Governor, Chief Lam Adesina, it was obvious that the people of Oyo State were fed up with his non-performance and failure in the office. Chief Adesina was one of those who believed that licking the boots of Obasanjo could save him and guarantee his second term. The Oyo State people were so embarrassed that they were willing to do anything to ensure he did not return. Chief Adedibu aligned himself with the people and used the constitutional process to achieve this objective. 

Chief Adedibu has true foot soldiers in all wards and local government all over the state. All of them worked diligently towards the goal isolated by Chief Adedibu.  They understood the fact that if they could work hard to get the new governor elected, some gains will accrue to their ward or local government in terms of positions, contracts and what have you. This is raw politics. And this is the way it is played all over the world. Politics, remember, is about who gets what and how.

These Adedibu soldiers are very loyal to him and are willing to go to wars for him because Adedibu is always reliable. He is dependable. He does not betray. He is not treacherous. He delivers on his promises almost always. He loves his people and is always catering to and for their welfare.  

The bogus attempt by Abati to deride the concept of “Amala Politics” shows how warped and shallow his understanding of politics is. “Amala” concept is used by Adedibu as euphemism for economic well being. Politics essentially is to ensure this through distribution of economic resources among competing interests. That Adedibu is able to grasp this concept adequately and practice it has been one of the reasons for his longevity. The only reason the Daley family has been a constant feature in the politics of Chicago in the State of Illinois, United States for several decades is because the people think and believe that they (the Daleys) care for them.  

The “Amala concept” approach to politics as defined by Adedibu is profoundly deep and realistic. This is what the Americans will call “the kitchen table politics” or what the New York State Senator Chuck Schumer described as the “meat and potato politics.” The only difference here is that the Americans do not know the value of “Amala” as a very delicious meal while an Ibadanman will choose Amala over and over again over potato. Simply because of the so called Western education received by our commentators, they have been unable to see the value of some philosophical concepts expressed by some of our indigenous leaders as it relates to our context. 

To them it has to almost always come from Socrates, Confucius or other Western thinkers to be relevant or carry some weight, otherwise they will try and ridicule such idea. This is nothing but “colonial mentality” on the part of our commentators of which Abati is guilty in this case. This isolates the major problem with products of Western education systems who think that simply because they can write and speak English Language, they are better educated than our people. Despite their so-called Western education, they can not even differentiate between being literate and being educated! There are a lot of fools who go around with doctorate degrees. 

Chief Adedibu is not an illiterate (someone who can not read and write) as he has allegedly tried to portray himself. He is only making fun of those professors who read all books but have no common sense and assumed that they are better than everyone else who did not go to school. He may not be as well-educated in the Western way as Ndibe and Abati wished but he is well educated in the fundamentals of his culture, well educated in the expectations and aspirations of his people and well attuned to their lifestyle. He is well rounded in the nuances of politics, especially at the grassroots. He appreciates the value of negotiation and deal making, but will fight back if stabbed in the back. He understands the most important value of humanity – fairness and justice. And nobody can argue the desirability of these qualities in any human society. 

Godfatherism is not unique to Nigerian political system and it is not necessarily bad. It is the ends to and the modality with which it has been deployed that counts. Political godfatherism is the system that produced one of the best presidents in American history in Harry S. Truman from the state of Missouri. Truman, a farmer who failed in the clothing business was a product of the “smoked-filled room” political maneuvering to be selected by the state Democratic machine to run for the U.S. Senate in 1934. Truman’s political godfather then was Thomas J. Pendergast of Kansas City. Pendergast whose “political machine” was referred to by some history books as “notorious” was the “boss” who determined who got to be elected into any position in the state of Missouri during his time. It was this same system that propelled Truman to become the Vice President in 1944 against the wish of President Franklin D. Roosevelt who headed the ticket.. 

While I am not saying that Chief Adedibu’s style is without its shortcoming(s) which I have addressed in some articles before now, I am contending that one of the major reasons for the enduring political efficacy of Chief Adedibu is his unselfishness and sense of equity no matter the way it is looked at. This is exactly what is lacking in the larger Nigerian context and the reason for the restiveness in the polity. And this is the crux of the matter in Oyo State. The major gripe of  Chief Adedibu with the soon to be ex-Governor Ladoja either by impeachment or by term expiration, is that he (Ladoja)violated the formula for distribution of power and dispensation of resources to the different parts and interest groups in the state as agreed upon before he (Ladoja) was propelled to that office. Chief Adedibu is not asking to be paid personally like Chris Ubah is doing in Anambra State. He is saying and insisting that Oyo State belongs to all the people of the State and they should have equitable distribution of power and resources among all.    

It is very easy to mischaracterize the demands of Adedibu as Abati tried to do in his article. He tried to suggest that Chief Adedibu wanted “juicy posts” for his followers. This could not be correct. He was asking that the power be spread around and that is what politics is all about. Let us even assume that Abati was right for the sake of argument but he should answer this question: Was Ladoja not Adedibu’s follower before he became Governor? Was he not practically living in Molete before he became governor? Ladoja has been coming and going to the Molete Shrine for almost a decade before he finally got the nod. So, what has Adedibu done different in this case? Nothing.   

Now that Ladoja is in the office as Governor, he has some resources to build his own following. But the question is – how fair is he in this process? Chief Adedibu has tried to focus attention on this and has tried to negotiate for the deprived areas of the state on several occasions by respecting other elders in Ibadan politics such as Pa Emmanuel Alayande who have all tried to get the governor to change his ways to no effect. Even, President Olusegun Obasanjo (who has failed in almost everything as the Chief Executive of Nigeria) has tried to no avail. 

Even, Abati acknowledged the fact that Adedibu has the support of majority of the members of the House of Assembly, is that not democracy? Fighting in the Legislature is not unique to Nigeria, it happened in the United States recently when the Republican Party majority members used the police to harass and humiliate the opposing Democratic Party. It has happened in South Korea when there were serious fisticuffs on the floor. Impeachment is a constitutionally recommended process and that is what Adedibu is trying to use, so what is the problem here?  

Gauging from what Abati wrote, he seemed to have taken hook, line and sinker everything that the Ladoja camp has been saying. Does it mean that because Ladoja is the Governor, everything he says in this case is the truth? Does it mean that because Adedibu is a godfather, he is necessarily wrong? Is there any merit in Adedibu’s positions? Is Ladoja fostering injustice by his style of administration? Does any administration that has lost the basis of its legitimacy, which is the people, ought to remain in the office? 

How can anyone now blame Chief Adedibu for following the law and using the constitutional process to achieve his objective of removing a governor who does not know how to unite everyone and be equitable? How can anyone who believes in law and order condemn the appointed representatives of the people for trying to oust a recalcitrant governor? To compare Chief Adedibu who is trying to work within the confines of the law to Chris Ubah who is doing the opposite, is the height of deliberate mischief and inadvertent dishonesty. To also suggest that because President Obasanjo supported Ubah and is now supporting Chief Adedibu makes them (Chris Ubah and Chief Adedibu) the same kind of human beings is preposterous and insulting to the intelligence of the people of Oyo State who are propelling these events. 

I have no doubt in my mind that the Ibadan people in particular and the Oyo State people are not stupid. If they conclude that Adedibu is of no use to their political aspirations they will deal with him on their own. But as long as they continue to believe in him, nothing is going to stop this “god called Adedibu.” Chief Obafemi Awolowo was and is still correct when he said in the same speech quoted above as follows:

     “The truth about the people of the Western Region is that they are sufficiently

   enlightened and bold to refuse to be led by the nose by any person or group however

sophisticated such person or group may appear. They are slow to anger; robust in

contentions; alert to their rights, and will fearlessly resist and combat evil whenever

and wherever they discern it with all their might and resources.” 

The above quote explains what is presently going on in Ibadan. More so, for the information of the untutored students of Ibadan history and politics they should remember the saying – “Enikan kii dara ki o ma ku si ibikan, ija igboro ni arun Ibadan” meaning “ No one is so good without a limitation, public protest and display of anger is the shortcoming of Ibadans.” Governor Rasheed Ladoja who is an Ibadan himself will attest to this. So, what is the hullabaloo all about? 

If Ndibe and Abati are feeling sorry for Chris Ubah there is nothing illegitimate about that. But they can not help cure Ubah’s seeming loneliness and reputation as a criminal godfather by engaging in vain laborious efforts to paint others in the same color. Chief Lamidi Adedibu does not belong to the same class with Chris Ubah in the soundness of their objectives and goals for their peoples. It can be argued that public protests at times do threaten public order but it can also be posited that it does not jeopardize it. More so, this is a democracy where people are free to protest what they do not like. There is a LOT of differences between Chief Adedibu and that man from Anambra State and no one should compare them.  

By the way, Okey Ndibe and Reuben Abati should realize that justice is a necessary precondition for peace, law and order. Justice is a necessary prerequisite for peace. There can only be peace when justice is guaranteed. If Governor Ladoja insists on fostering injustice, there is nothing wrong if Chief Adedibu tries to use the constitutionally allowed process while operating within the confines of the law, to have him removed from office. This is especially welcomed if the majority of the people, the majority of the lawmakers and the majority of other representatives of the people support Chief Adedibu as Abati himself attested to.  

Okey Ndibe and Reuben Abati should wonder why the Richard Akinjides, Adisa Akinloyes, Victor Olunloyos of this world and other elites of Ibadanland in particular and Oyo State in general have not been able to checkmate Adedibu all these years. It is because the people are Adedibu’s fort. The people are his base. They are his foundation. They are his focus. Adedibu might have benefited from this over the years, but there is nothing illicit about that. It is legitimate that everyone should benefit from his sweat, skill and talent. Adedibu has a place in his heart for the people and the people in return have a place for him in their hearts. Adedibu is willing to go to war for the people, and the people are willing to follow his lead and go to war with him for themselves.  

Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu may be the strongman of Ibadan politics, but he is much more than that. He is the true MAN OF THE PEOPLE. And the people love and adore him for his roles in protecting their interests by any legal means necessary. The only reason whatsoever there is a “god” is because there are some people who believe in that “god.” The only reason such people believe in that “god” is because that “god” is efficacious and the only reason any “god” for that matter will continue to have worshippers is the frequency of his efficacy.  

If Adedibu is perceived as “a god” or “the god” of Ibadan politics as suggested by Ndibe, it is because he (Adedibu) has been able in the words of Awolowo “to justify his leadership by his personal attributes, and by his works for the good of the people” and has succeeded in delivering results over and over. For this reason, the worshippers of “Orisha Molete” will continue to stream to the Molete Shrine because they believe in him. In addition, if and when necessary, the people will go to battle with him and for him as long as they deem it to be in their own interests. 

Robot  Villager

# 1 In as much as I am willing to concede to Okey Ndibe and Reuben Abati that they were concerned about law and order which seemed to have been their theme in that piece, I contend that their comparison of what is going on in Oyo State to that of Anambra State is weird and mischievous. Law and order is important and we all desire such, but I posit that they both came across in that article as “egbodo” yam eaters who are in search of companions. ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 01.01.2006 20:27

Abiodun Ladepo

# 2 What a lovely commentary on our so-called educated reporters. It has since occured to me that many prolific writers spend too much time conjugating their verbs, alligning their syntax and adding flowery phrases to their articles rather than paying attention to objectivity in their writings. The feud between Ladoja and Adedibu is deeper than those two gentlemen - Ndibe and Abati - understand. Rather than sit in the comfort of their offices, they should visit the trenches of Oyo State politics and get fully educated before commenting on the issues. Otherwise, they should try as much as possible to remain impartial and objective. Thank you for bringing this to the fore. Posted by Abiodun Ladepo| 02.01.2006 02:39

Kunle

# 3 I was just reading Remi Oyeyemi's article on the Abati/Ndibe analysis of the Adedibu/Ladoja saga. In as much as i enjoyed the attempt to promote and make a case for amala politics which truly may be a subject of detailed research in coming years i beg to disagree with the writer on the motives of Baba Adedibu. Oyeyemi ended up guilty of ignorance of the complexity of the Adedibu issue when he wrote that Adedibu sought no financial gains. There was a recent interview on BEN TV in London where Diran Odeyemi and Gbola Oba took on Adedibu and with his own mouth the rugged old fox said all he had received from Ladoja to date was a miserly sum and that his list of commisioners sent in was rejected. The recent guerilla asault on the government house was clearly not the first as the rugged old man claimed he told Obasanjo in one of the reconciliatory meetings that he broke into the same building with his troops 40 years ago. I suggest the writer contact Gbola Oba or Diran Odeyemi and access this 45 minute interview and i am sure he will see the issue from another perspective and if either Gbola or Diran is reading this can they please let NVS know when the interview can be viewed Posted by Kunle| 02.01.2006 03:04

Guest

# 4 Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu may be the strongman of Ibadan politics, but he is much more than that. He is the true MAN OF THE PEOPLE. And the people love and adore him for his roles in protecting their interests by any legal means necessary. The only reason whatsoever there is a “god” is because there are some people who believe in that “god.” The only reason such people believe in that “god” is because that “god” is efficacious and the only reason any “god” for that matter will continue to have worshippers is the frequency of his efficacy. Adedibu, force to reckon with, says Obasanjo By Segun Adeleye President Olusegun Obasanjo has described Lamidi Adedibu “as a force to reckon with both in Ibadan and the whole of Oyo State” politics. Adedibu is an adversary of the state Governor, Rashidi Ladoja, whom his faction of lawmakers served an impeachment notice last week after a mayhem that led to the death of two persons. Lamidi Adedibu asks Yoruba to back third term By Seun Adeoye According to Adedibu, if for about 40 years, the North could hold on to power "I think we should also be in office for 20 years." He, therefore, urged all Yoruba to support President Obasanjo's (rumoured) third term bid. History And Oyo's Show Of Shame By Akinyemi Akinlabi I wonder if the sponsors of these legislators and thugs have forgotten history because the principal actors were old enough to remember how the country was set on fire in 1962. Although some of the legislator’s were born around and after 1962 (like me), it seems like they did not study our political history or went through books written on the western region crisis of 1962. They are following the same path that led to the abrupt end of the first republic. The western region crisis started as a result of internal power tussle among the leadership of the then ruling Party in the West, Action Group (AG). There was a sharp gulf between Chief Awolowo (leader of the party) and his deputy (Chief SL Akintola). Oyeyemi: I am really surprised that you wrote the article above. What exactly are you trying to say? Are you saying that it was OK for Obasanjo to keep Rashidi Ladoja waiting for hours in his (OBJ’s) office while according a hasty attention to Lamidi Adedibu? Are you saying that Adedibu is not old enough to be a father to Ladoja? Are you saying that Oyo State is full of old people who must shoot their way into other people’s minds? Do you want to tell us that Oyo State is made up of old Yoruba people like Adedibu? Look, I do not care for either Ladoja or Adedibu. We should not worship personalities even when we know that their ways and means are immoral and illegal. What disturbs me is the brazen mendacity with which the leaders engaged in gun battle a means of settling public negotiation. Ladoja was also quoted in news articles as saying that he (Ladoja) cares only for the welfare and security of his constituencies. That Adedibu loves his supporters does not mean that Ladoja must enslave his mandate to them or that he (Ladoja) must hate his own supporters. The fact that Granpa Adedibu would engage in many hours of gun battle with a governor who is young enough to be his own son is beyond reproach. Forget about the rule of law for a moment. Let us now concentrate on Yoruba culture. And let’s assume, as you claim, that Granpa Adedibu is an efficacious God to the people of Oyo State. Now answer the following questions: Is it according to the Yoruba culture to settle disputes with guns and ammos? If the majority of people of the people in Oyo State “love and adore” Adedibu, then can you claim that they also approve of the means he used to service their interests? What of the interests of the rest of Yoruba/Nigerian people? What of the interests of those killed in the gun battle? Is it possible that those killed are human beings who deserve better from their elected representatives? If everybody resorts to the same brutish means and ways, how long do you think Nigeria would last? If Uba, at an immature age of 30, is a criminal, what do you call Adedibu at his mature age of 70? From Oyeyemi’s admirer Posted by Guest| 02.01.2006 03:48

WaleAkin  Villager

# 5 POLITICAL GODFATHERISM: CAGING LAMIDI ADEDIBU By Wale Akin wale@waleakin.com I am very sure if i reside in Nigeria and then send this article for publication, a full page obituary of my untimely demise will follow suit knowing fully well the volatility of what I am about to share and its attendant results and spill-over. Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu who calls himself the political King maker of Oyo state, Nigeria granted an interview recently which was aired on UK’s BEN TV and watching this particular interview which lasted for 45 minutes catapulted my thinking on how and why socio-political issues in a place like Nigeria will never know peace, this is no curse but truth in plain site. Lamidi Adedibu threw caution to the winds, left public decorum at home and vituperated arrant balderdash all through the interview which was intermittently spiced with caustic innuendoes and outright negative outburst synonymous with street urchins popularly called Area Boys. Area boys’ behavioral attitudes are even more courteous, Adedibu’s attitudes at this interview cuts across to me as a deranged motor park tout who has not been paid the days wages by the Chairperson of the motor park and who in his bid to show some rough stunts decides to start yanning OPATA. The OPATA did not come as a surprise to some of us who watched the interview but only drew our attention to some fundamental flaws associated with our so called nascent democracy. Let’s take the issues at that interview one by each. The festering sore of political godfatherism in Nigeria political terrain as aptly described in Lamidi Adedibu’s vituperations and demeanor has really eaten deep into the system and an urgent social diagnosis is needed before things gets out of hand. The so-called interview anchored by Gbola Oba, a freelance journalist and Diran Odeyemi, former Editor of Tribune, a local daily tabloid in Nigeria showed Adedibu vexing his rage on why various Governors that have served in Oyo State need not serve a second time not for anything but the simple fact that they were all thieves and herd of sheep in wolves clothing. He specifically made mention of the late Bola Ige, Dr Olunloyo, and Chief Lam Adesina all whom had served at various times as Governors in Oyo State and the present governor Rasheed Ladoja, he categorically boasted that he brought them all to the state house and also “impeached” them. Adedibu dared all Nigerians openly by stating that he personally hold the forth to the Oyo State government House and can therefore call the bluff off anybody, what arrant nonsense!!! He openly labeled Lam Adesina a cash grabber, whatever that means, he also openly stated that the incumbent governor has siphoned close to 3 Billion naira and because of this will never taste a second term, what makes Adedibu so sacred that he cant be arrested at all? Just imagine such interview being aired on a TV station like SKY or ITV, a combined team of MI5 and SO19 will be waiting outside to whisk him away to the high profile Paddington Green Police Station for questioning and onward air transfer to the maximum slammer called HM BELMARSH in South East London Just last Thursday, Adedibu’s personal convoy was ambushed by unknown assailants and in that ugly incident, his personal aide was killed and all fingers pointed to Governor Ladoja, the latter immediately denied in an open interview through his personal assistant on media matters once again re-opening the long standing feud that have existed between Adedibu and various Governors in Oyo state, the former boasted openly his absolute godfatherism embedded in the entire control of Oyo state political terrain, his vast knowledge of true situation of issues and his deadly knockout to whosoever dare cross his path to victory in any election. Lamidi Adedibu in Oyo state can be compared with the likes of Olusola Saraki of Kwara State and Chris Ubah of Anambra state, these so called money-miss-road hijack election exercises at will and turn the ballot boxes into personal favor and then install somebody in their camp into any elective position within the state, many Nigerians will not forget in a hurry the political mayhem that occurred in Anambra state recently when the state house and Radio station were razed to rubbles, many innocent lives were lost and all we could do was just look at issues without addressing them at all. The feud is presently still raging because the high court had just a forthnight ago nullified Governor Ngige power and asked that Chief Obi be installed as the winner of the gubernatorial election that brought in Ngige, now when will all these end? Olusola Saraki sees himself as the Czar of Kwara politics and he proved this over 2 years ago when he brought to bear his political wizardry by making sure his son Bukola Saraki secured the gubernatorial seat of the state in a landslide victory, now who does not know that the father is the real governor while the so-called son remain a political stooge with no obvious mandate. Adedibu played on our collective intelligence when he stated that he already have a personal knowledge of who the next president of Nigeria is come 2007, upon hearing this blatant abuse of fundamental rights, I was so pissed off not for anything but the simple fact that Nigeria as a country will waste huge amount of state funds in conducting an election and then pick up the desired candidate in a selection process already pre-disposed by the likes of Adedibu, once again where do we go from here? He made the viewers understood the fact that without his likes on the political terrain, the geographical entity called Nigeria is null and void, he pointed accusing fingers to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP clan and ever since that interview, no public statement have been issued to debunk Adedibu’s claim and all these calls for serious concerns. Governor Kalu Orji Kalu of Abia state once openly accused and called the PDP a den of thieves and murderers, now juxtaposing Adedibu’s recent outburst and the open statement of Kalu about year ago is enough justification to rub like minds together and fine tune our collective future. The public announcement of Adedibu that he has a fore-knowledge of the next president of Nigeria come 2007 is a slap on humanity; it even makes matters worse if the incumbent president also have a personal inkling of the person to be open-secretly selected after wasting so much public fund in conducting a mock national election. Adedibu admitted that President Obasanjo called a caucus meeting of the so-called elders of the country and told them all the name of his presidential candidate come 2007. Its been well over 2 weeks now and none of the President’s special advisers have deem it fit to come to his Excellency’s defense, the likes of Remi Oyo and Femi Fani-Kayode who’s outburst can be likened to a faulty domestic tap awaiting the arrival of the local plumber have all kept mute over this very volatile issue but are very quick to counter critics like Wole Soyinka and Gani Fayehinmi who are much more better than Lamidi Adedibu who is no less than a bag of wet beans. Now do we then ask who the candidate is please, this is a public question that must be answered before issues get murkier as it is presently? Is this secret person Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB or better still the incumbent Vice President of Nigeria in person of Abubakar Atiku? Let me at this point introduce a new website deliberately floated to run aground the campaign of IBB towards becoming the president come 2007, www.againstbabangida.com, this is a must visit site for all Nigerians to read and know about Maradona who injured our national psyche and pummeled us right in the face in his personal quest to siphon as much as possible our national funds, musts we allow him to come rule us again? AFFLICTION SHALL NOT ARISE A SECOND TIME!!! I think we all need to question the anti-graft campaign embarked upon by President Olusegun Obasanjo because right at that interview, Adedibu blew open the lid that during his last birthday party, the former in person of President Olusegun Obasanjo sent a cash gift of 500,000 Naira. The president need to tender a public explanation as to why he needed to give the latter such huge amount of money in such trivial way and at the utter expense of the impoverished Nigerians. How many of the so called elders have been given such monetary gifts in recent times? Wale Akin lives in Kent, UK and a founding member of a group called MEN NOW! Posted by WaleAkin| 02.01.2006 04:12

Odinaka  Villager

# 6 Thanks Remi for maradoning around. Would it not have been nicer and more convincing if you let us know the anticedents of Adedibu that make him a man of the people? Posted by Odinaka| 02.01.2006 05:04

kunle

# 7 This story was making the rounds in Ibadan after Kolapo Ishola won the gubernatorial election thanks to Adedibu.It is common sight for gubernatorial hopefuls to troop to the molete abode of Adedibu and pay homage.It is also not uncommon for Adedibu to lead each and every major contender on and maximise what he can get out of them. Lam and Kolapo Ishola were the clear fron runners and the ultimate then was to share a meal of amala with Adedibu in the same bowl(amala is best served with the oily abula soup poured on it and you never can tell if it is fufu,ponded yam or eba lies underneath) On this particular day Lam Adeshina having dropped a major sum in anticipation of endorsement was having this ultimate amala meal with Adedibu and Kolapo Ishola's aides rushed to alert him of the development.Ishola rushed down to molete and seeing the sight of Adedibu and Lam at lunch he was clearly devastated.The old fox excused himself from the table and took Ishola outside.Hear him: '' mode yi mo foya, iwo lo je gomina,amala ti Laamu o je ni njeun'' meaning,young man dont worry,you are the anointed,Lam is not eating anything beyond the amala in fron of him. Posted by kunle| 02.01.2006 10:11

PopGee  Villager

# 8 Here's a summary of Remi's Oyeyemi's long article: - thuggery is a legitimate means of playing politics in Oyo State - thuggery/violence is justified when it is done in the name of the people - a political thug is a hero if the gains of his extortion goes towards providing amala for the masses who would otherwise go hungry or/and jobless. - Ladoja is not the first to seek Adedibu's support to gain office AND he must not be allowed to become the first to challenge or get away with defying the establsihed godfather of Ibadan politics - Godfatherism is a long -established tradition of Ibadan politics and should not be tarnished by any comparisons with the mindless greed of the Chris Ubas of Igboland. Ibadan godfatherism is of a higher and noble kind in which some people may be killed and properties destroyed to serve the nobel ends of providing a 24/7 buffet for Ibadan's poor. - Even the Oyibos and Americans have their own traditions of godfatherism.cronyism and extortion; so what's the big deal about Adedibu sponsoring candidates and expecting and expecting returns from his investment?.It's called patronage folks - like some people gave Bush campaign money and then get ambassadorial postings in return. - In Lamidi's case, he usually wants to pick the cabinet and open the spigot for public funds to flow to Molete - feeding the masses round the clock is not cheap - even American-run soup chickens need funding; Oyeyemi forgot to add. Mr. Oyeyemi, thanks for enlightening ignorant folks like me on the fine distinctions between, say, Igbo godfatherism (Chris Uba) and the nobler, traditional Ibadan type exemplified by the Amala politics of Baba Adedibu - even OBJ had to openly acknowledge that the Baba Amala is a force to be reckoned with in Oyo State politics (hint, hint for 2007!!). Like I said elsewhere, we could save more lives and public property by just giving Baba Adedibu a more permanent and lucrative source of funding - grant him his own Oil-Bloc - does not matter if he cannot tell the difference between Crude and Groundnut Oil. Baba, the one in Abuja, has said it repeatedly - the oil is for all Nigerians and those minorities must learn to share. Posted by PopGee| 02.01.2006 11:24

Double light

# 9 Thanks Mr Oyeyemi for your enlightening article. While I agree that the case of Anambra and Oyo might not exactly be the same, there are many similarities. The most obvious similarity is the use of force and violence to hijack the political process by some so called Godfather. Let's call a spade a spade what is going on in Oyo State is wrong. I do not agree that just because people like Okey and Reuben like politics to be played as it is being played in Western countries, they should then be seen as suffering from colonial mentality. What is at the bottom of Amala politics is basically poverty. If our people were not going through abject poverty, they would not sell their god given right for a plate of Amala! Having said that I also agree with Mr Oyeyemi that people of Western Nigeria are politically educated enough to see through the charade going all over the PDP governed South Western States or have you forgotten that this so called godfather was in the political wilderness after supporting Abacha and his self succession? The non performance of the AD governors particularly Lam Adesina in the last political regime propelled Adedibu and his likes back into the mainstream of Yoruba politics. The history of Yoruba politics has been characterised with the battle for supremacy between the conservative but reactionary forces as represented by Adedibu etc and the progressive forces. The moment Obasanjo leaves the stage and the Yoruba are out of the equation as far the presidency is concerned then the battle for the heart and soul of Yoruba politics will begin. Posted by Double light| 02.01.2006 14:02

domino

# 10 Why any human being will swallow amala in their right minds remains a mystery to me. Anyway, like they say; one man's meat............. Posted by domino| 02.01.2006 15:22

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