Ladoja, Ajimobi embrace each other, 8 months after guber poll
By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.
Barely 8months after the governorship election in Oyo State which pitched Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his kinsman Senator Rashidi Ladoja against each other, the duo for the first time after the election yesterday openly embraced each other .
Governor Ajimobi contested the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while Senator Ladoja contested under the banner of Accord Party (AP) and have since March been in verbal war against each other.
However, there was a mild drama at the eighth-day fidau of the late Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Omowale Kuye when the two political warlords met and openly embraced each other and exchange greetings at the Ikolaba, Ibadan residence of the late Federal Director of Budget, to the admiration of eminent personalities and clerics at the occasion.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Ajimobi said he was not in any way at loggerheads with Senator Ladoja, his elder brother, saying, politics apart, the bond between them was still intact.
“Politics is a funny game which pits brothers against brothers, friends against friends and even majority ethnic groups against minority groups. And this is exactly what has happened between me and my brother, Senator Ladoja. Even when you don’t want to quarrel, your supporters will be inciting you to quarrel. Such is the nature of politics,” he said.
Governor Ajimobi added that “politics makes siblings to go against one another,” saying, “but honestly, politics apart, there is no personal animosity between us. Senator Ladoja is my brother; I will never fight him’’.
The governor then advised political leaders to eschew bitterness and not to succumb to the antics of their supporters to cause disaffection amongst them.
In his lecture, the Chief Imam of the University of Ibadan Central Mosque, Prof. Abdur-Rahman Oloyede urged supporters of different political parties to emulate the harmonious relationship between Senator Ladoja and Governor Ajimobi despite their political differences.
The Chief Imam stressed the need for political supporters to stop causing crises and killing one another when indeed, their leaders have meeting points where political differences were settled amicably, saying, “Irrespective of our earthly possession, we will all die. Whatever position we are holding, we will leave it one day. We should strive to leave good legacies that would justify our earthly sojourn’’.
The Fidau was attended by the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Gen. Raji Rasaki (rtd.), former Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Nurudeen Adekola, a former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun and renowned industrialist, Chief Kola Daisi, former Minister of Sports, Gen. I.B.M. Haruna, a former Minister of Sports, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Chief Kareem Latunji, Wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs.) Mutiat Ladoja as well as all Ibadan high chiefs and members of the Olubadan-in-Council.
