By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland and former governor of Oyo State, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja has disclosed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the powerful figure responsible for his removal from office as Oyo State Governor.
Oba Ladoja made this known on Saturday in Ibadan, while featuring on a special interview to mark his 80th anniversary on a Fresh FM radio program, ” South West Political Circuit.
The Otun Olubadan pointed out that contrary to the widely opinion that it was the late strongman of Ibadan politics, High Chief Lamidi Adedibu and his former deputy, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, orchestrated his impeachment, Oba Ladoja declared that Chief Obasanjo was the true architect of his impeachment
Recalling his experience with Chief Obasanjo, Oba Ladoja said he went along other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors like Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Gbenga Daniel and Dr Segun Agagu to beg the former president in Abeokuta no to go ahead with the plan to impeach him.
” You see, some people said, it was Akala, it was Adedibu. No, it was not any of them. It was Obasanjo. It was during the time of Ileya [Muslim festival Eid-el-Kabir]. We went to see Baba Obasanjo. I think it was on a Friday or Saturday that we went to see him in Abeokuta. I was there with Oyinlola, Daniel and Agagu”, he said.
Oba Ladoja added, “We did not call Fayose, because we knew that Fayose was Baba’s son. So they knelt down and I knelt down with them. They were begging him, ‘Baba, please, let Ladoja be’.
“Baba then said ‘Rashidi, go and resign!’ I said ‘No, I won’t resign!’ He said, ‘if you don’t resign, you would be removed’. I said ‘No, they cannot do it.’ He said ‘why’”. I said ‘because you cannot get two-thirds. He said ‘two-thirds my foot’ and then he left the place in fury. [Gbenga] Daniel ran after him”.
He stressed further ” While we were reflecting on what we were going to do, myself, Agagu and Oyinlola, a man came in; it was the former World Court Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola. He said ‘what is wrong with you?’ He said ‘I know your problem. Your problem is that you don’t want Ladoja to be impeached”.
” They [Oyinlola, Agagau and Daniel said yes. Justice Ajibola said ‘well, I’ve talked about it to Segun, he’s just adamant. He said ‘but you’re leaders in your own rights. There comes a time when you must have to stand up and fight.”
The Otun Olubadan noted “ Then he told us the story of ‘Jafitafita’. The story of ‘Jafitafita’ is simple. It is about tortoise and his wife, yannibo.”
“I must put it on record that Prince Ajibola did wonderfully for us because he told us exactly what to do: we “jafitafita. When eventually we got the judgement of the Appeal Court. Baba said no. People said this is a declarative judgement; he said they are going to stay its execution. And eventually, it stayed until the Supreme Court confirmed the judgement of the Court of Appeal.”
Oba Ladoja revealed further that Prince Ajibola helped him a lot in his legal battle to reclaim his mandate.
