Atiku, Ekwueme Implicated, As Obasanjo, Osoba Exchange Fire, Accusations
A war of words has broken out between former Ogun State’s Governor Olusegun Osoba and former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the ouster of five South-West Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors in 2003.
The former Governor’s account was contained in his 2018 memoir, Battlelines: Adventure in Journalism and Politics, excerpts of which were recently published by some online platforms.
Obasanjo has responded with equal fieriness in a letter of Thursday, saying Osoba lost that election as the price paid for collaborating with Vice President Atiku Abubakar to remove the Retired General-turned-civilian President.
According to Obasanjo, the Second Republic now deceased former Vice President Alex Ekwueme was also in the plot for an Atiku takeover.
Both exchanges are reproduced here.
EX-OGUN GOV OSOBA: OBASANJO DECEIVED US AD GOVS IN 2003
“As it turned out, unwittingly, we had handed Obasanjo (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, then President of Nigeria) a tool with which he later dealt with us too. After “stooping to conquer” the National Assembly, and surviving the impeachment plot, he later “stooped to conquer” the AD governors and Afenifere.
After he survived the impeachment plot, he never showed any sense of remorse. We could not believe his new bellicose approach when in a national broadcast he described the impeachment plot as “joke carried too far”
The attempt to impeach him eventually won him some sympathy in Yorubaland. It was after this experience that Obasanjo began a frontal attempt to woo the AD governors. He came to Lagos to attend the Convocation at the University of Lagos and then invited all the AD governors to a meeting later in the night same day. Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos was the contact between us and Obasanjo over the arrangements for the meeting. We met him in the old office of the Head of State at Dodan Barracks. The only person who accompanied him to the meeting was the Director of the State Security Services (SSS), Col. Kayode Are. At the meeting, he directly requested support from all the six AD governors. He said he wanted an understanding between us and himself because he faced some serious challenges that were likely to create some upheaval in the political terrain and in the country at large. Therefore, he wanted an understanding and a working relationship with us.
We analysed the situation in the country and told him a few home truths. Firstly, we told him that even though we were Head of Governments, we had leaders and elders in the party that he must discuss with, if he needed any kind of understanding with us. Secondly, we wondered what the basis of our understanding with him would be when his term was coming to an end with no prospect of his securing his party’s ticket for a second term. We made it clear that a working relationship between the two groups was beyond us. A decision of that magnitude would have to be reported to Afenifere leaders who had the authority to take a final position on it. We immediately reported the proceedings to Chief Abraham Adesanya who convened a meeting where it was debated with serious reservations amongst the leadership about fraternising with Obasanjo.
The Afenifere and AD leadership were not going to give their heart and soul to support Obasanjo’s second term ambition without extracting some major political commitment from him. A meeting was held in Lagos where the conditions for negotiating with Obasanjo were agreed upon. After the meeting at his home, Adesanya, he led a team with Afenifere charter of demand to Ota to discuss with Obasanjo.
The delegation to Ota included Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Senator Femi Okunrounmu and Cornelius Adebayo. Okunrounmu and Adebayo were mandated to speak on behalf of AD and Afenifere. Adesanya called and asked me to join them at Obasanjo’s Ota Farm, from my station in Abeokuta.The conditions presented to Obasanjo amongst others were: the restructuring of the Nigerian federation, devolution of power, including moving some items from the exclusive to the concurrent list and ensuring fiscal federalism. Obasanjo was to organize a credible and transparent national census. Merit must be followed alongside federal character and quota system in the recruitment to federal positions across the country.
Obasanjo assured us that he identified with them. He explained that he had even started implementing the issue of merit in federal appointments indirectly through the privatization of many public enterprises which were run for many years without respect for merit. With the privatization and the enthronement of a culture of merit, he expected many Nigerian professionals abroad would return home to run the privatised enterprises. He affirmed that privatization was a part of enthroning meritocracy.
Obasanjo said arrangements had been completed to ensure a genuine, transparent and acceptable headcount. He told us the satellite mapping of all Nigeria cities, towns and villages was in the making. Even without a headcount, he explained that with satellite mapping, it was possible to count the number of houses everywhere in the land and with that get a rough idea of how many people live in the house and in the country. He said he would lay the issue of census to rest in the second term, through GOOGLE, the days of census inflation were over.
On fiscal federalism, he said the Federal Government would respect and obey the decision of the court in the case instituted by Lagos and the other states against the Federal Government. On the whole, Obasanjo sounded so eloquent and convincing. At the end of the meeting, we drove to the Gateway Hotel, Ota where I had arranged dinner for the leaders. It was also the lace to debrief ourselves of what we gained from meeting with Obasanjo. Chief Adebanjo was the major speaker.
“I sincerely cannot believe that Obasanjo has become such a changed man,” he said. “I am surprised but happy that he is ready to take fundamental actions to restructure Nigeria in his second term in office.”
That was the impression most of us took away from the meeting. Consequently, we agreed to support him for the 2003 Presidential election. We decided not to present a Presidential candidate for the AD, in spite of resistance from some Afenifere leaders. It was later that we realized that we had been fooled. Obasanjo merely played along with us and ended up deceiving us by telling our leaders what he knew they wanted to hear but which didn’t come from his heart.
Apart from reaching out directly to the AD governors, Obasanjo also reached out to other sources close to the Governors to reinforce his professed desire for cooperation. From Ogun State, he enlisted all manner of groups- religious, traditional, professional, communal and familial, to pile pressure on me, his fellow Ogun indigene.
Obasanjo pressured me through Royal Fathers, Friends and Groups. The then Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuwade, Olubuse II, was the first to discuss Obasanjo’s reelection plans with me. He was superlative in his presentation.
“The Yoruba nation has an assignment for you,” he said. “Yorubas don’t want disintegration; they want continuity and a smooth change of baton from one civilian government to another.” Then the real message: “We want your cooperation and assistance.”
I responded that his message and idea were laudable, but I was only a member of a large team with which I needed to discuss the subject.
Alake of Egbaland, late Oba Oyebade Lipede was next. At a meeting in his bedroom one night, he told me, waxing sentimental:
“Akinrogun, this is where I will breathe my last to join my ancestors. Before I answer the call to transition, I want you to join the Egbas in helping our Jagunmolu of Egbas (General Obasanjo) to execute a successful movement from one civilian to another.”
Oba Of Lagos, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, a distant cousin and the grand-patron of our family, Osoba-George, also waded in. So did the then Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Iyiola Matanmi with whom I grew up in Osogbo. He threw his weight in to plead Obasanjo’s cause.
The most compelling of all was from the paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Adetona, a respected royal father in Yorubaland. Having been on the throne since 1960, Awujale is deep and experienced. He can be firm and uncompromising in any noble cause he supports. Awujale had been an immense source of inspiration to me both in and out of office as Governor. He also provided succour when I was underground during Abacha’s reign. His daily telephone calls with prayers made my travails in hiding bearable and fortified my resolve to bear it through. A fair-minded leader who hates injustice in any form, he could be radical in search of justice. The Awujale too did not wholly trust Obasanjo, having had a testy relationship with him. I remember one incident in Ijebu-igbo after the church service for the 80th birthday ceremony of Chief Abraham Adesanya in July 2002. The Awujale and I were riding in the same vehicle with Obasanjo and Chief Bode George when the Awujale told Obasanjo frontally: “In the past, I could swear by you but in recent times, I no longer trust you nor can I put a bet on any promise you make.” Rather than get offended, Obasanjo simply laughed and said; “Kabiyesi, Kabiyesi that is not true.” In his autobiography the Awujale would call Obasanjo a “Judas”.
A royal father who knows Obasanjo that much would, therefore not throw his goodwill in Obasanjo’s favour frivolously. Sometime in 2002 the Awujale invited me to his place for a heart to heart discussion.
“My Aremo,” he started, “we all know Obasanjo’s terrible weaknesses, but we have to overlook those as to ensure a smooth civilian to civilian transition bereft of bloodshed and the subsequent collapse of the republic as it happened in 1966 and 1983. In light of this, it is better for us to support Obasanjo and let him finish his second term and go. I want to broker relative peace between you and Obasanjo.”
We debated his suggestion at length after which Awujale volunteered to arrange a private flight from Ibadan to Abuja, for a meeting with President Obasanjo. We set out early on Saturday morning for the Presidential villa where he had breakfast with the President, followed by a meeting in his inner study at the Villa.
The Awujale started the meeting by joking that as an Ijebu king, he should not be interceding between two Egba men. He then turned to me.
“Mr. Governor, do you have any Presidential ambition now?”
“No,” I replied.
He then turned to Obasanjo for his own royal quiz.
“Mr. President, are you interested in contesting to be Governor of Ogun State?”
“God forbid!” Obasanjo replied, in what looked to him like an abomination. “How can I descend from being President to become a State Governor?”
Like King Solomon attempting to settle a dispute between two people, the Awujale asked two of us; “So what do the both of you have against each other?”
Without waiting for a reply, he continued making light of a serious matter with his jocular approach;
“Ordinarily, as Awujale, I should not be happy to have an Egba as President and another Egba as Governor of Ogun State. Yet I cannot understand why two Egbas who have the two most important positions available for people from Ogun State would not be at peace with each other.”
Let’s give it to experienced royal fathers! The wisdom with which these elders and custodians of tradition such as the Awujale put these things never cease to amaze me. They have a way of dousing tension with their wisdom, experience, style and succinct manner of presenting their arguments. Even if you are not totally convinced about what they want you to do, the manner of presentation would make it almost impossible to demur.
Obasanjo responded to the Awujale by saying that I was keeping my distance from him, which he claimed was affecting the Federal Government’s interest in Ogun State. According to him, it was also affecting Ogun State’s access to Federal assistance.
“I expected him to be meeting him regularly with request for Ogun State, but the Governor is too arrogant to do so,” he said.
“Well my relationship with you has nothing to do with pride,” I responded.
“If it has nothing to do with pride, then what is responsible?” the President asked.
“The thing is we belong to two different ideological persuasions and political parties.”
Secondly, I let him know that even if I needed any extra budgetary assistance, it was usually not worth the trouble because of what the state would get by the time elements at the federal level and their political bosses creamed off their usual percentage from it. Yet they will record the full amount in the books. This is a potentially destructive path that I couldn’t follow. I learned a lot of lessons from fellow Governors of the class of 1992 who ran into problems after Abacha kicked us out over extra-budgetary allocations from the Federal Government that were not delivered in full to them.
“In any case, why should I lobby you before you can do whatever you feel like doing for your home state?” I asked the President. “I am doing my part as governor. I challenge you to do your part, Mr. President.”
The discussion was brutally frank, and Obasanjo seemed not to be in hurry to let us go. But the pilot eventually sent word that there was no night-landing facilities at the Ibadan airport and that we needed to leave soon.
The preceding discussions and rapprochement between us probably weighed on the President’s mind when he paid a state visit to us in Abeokuta in October 2002. As to be expected, the Government of Ogun extended to him due courtesies. He was impressed. On his return to Abuja, he wrote a warm letter conveying his appreciation. “I was impressed by your administration’s effort towards the rehabilitation of infrastructure especially in roads and water supply. And I note with satisfaction the encouragement you have made in private investment in Ogun State, he wrote.” He urged us to pay more attention to the activities of the Ogun-Osun Water irrigation scheme and promised to accelerate work on the paper mill in Iwopin. “Let me reiterate my commitment to get Iwopin Paper mill operational within the shortest time possible,” he promised. Regrettably, he did not match his words with action as the paper mill, the only federal government project in Ogun State, remained comatose throughout the remaining five years of his tenure.”
There were others who also intervened on behalf of Obasanjo. They included the elites of Egbaland and Yorubaland in general. For instance, the “Hope Family” led by Chief Debo Akande also supported Obasanjo’s second term. They came to plead with me. Members of the hope family included an old classmate, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, and other successful professionals like Chief Folorunsho Oke, Chief Jide Sawyer, and Prince Supo Adetona.
It was not that I didn’t have my doubts or that I didn’t know President Obasanjo and his character enough. I had abundant experience of his character through previous personal encounters. In 1979, he stopped my appointment as managing director of the Sketch. Another example was when I was campaigning to be Governor in 1990, a campaign of calumny was mounted against me that I had sold my Egba origin by claiming to be a Kwaran in my desperation to be chief executive of Nigerian Herald. General Obasanjo, who as chief of staff approved and caused the appointment to be announced on radio, deliberately did not raise a voice to correct the misrepresentation. Then Apena Egba Chief Toye Coker was the one who gave me a hint that Obasanjo was present when the matter was discussed by some elders in Egba. Knowing that Obasanjo had full knowledge of the circumstances that took me to Kwara, I was disappointed that he did not clarify the issue at a meeting of Egba chiefs.
At the earliest opportunity, I confronted him in the presence of Chief Kola Olumide with evidence of his instruction in writing on my appointment at the Herald. In spite of all this, I went ahead with the arrangement because I was convinced that we needed a successful civilian-to-civilian election for democracy to survive.
Hints of what lay in store for us came to me from many sources. For instance, we were coming out of one of the meetings at Obasanjo’s lodge in his Ota farm, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, former governor of Oyo state who was waiting to see Obasanjo called me aside and whispered in my ears:
“Be careful. You and Lam Adesina are being spied upon; they are monitoring your activities as Governors. Be careful and before you reach any agreement with Obasanjo, think twice and think well.”
OBASANJO FIRES BACK VIA A LETTER ON THURSDAY: YOU WORKED WITH MY ATIKU TO REMOVE ME (LETTER IN FULL)
July 23, 2026
Chief Olusegun Osoba,
Former Governor of Ogun State,
No. 1, Ataba Close,
Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta.
REPLY TO YOUR INACCURATE POSTURE: “HOW OBASANJO DECEIVED US IN 2003”
There are many things you got wrong and many things you omitted advertently or inadvertently in your write-up carried in The Legal Observer of July 20, 2026. Your presentation in your write-up was farfetched to put it mildly.
But Before I go further, I take strong and serious objection to your calling me a deceit because I deceived nobody. I always presented my case and all issues as I had them and as I understood them no matter whose ox is gored. There were issues you did not know or understand because as you pointed out, they were above your head. They were handled by your elders in Alliance for Democracy (AD) party and Afenifere. And there were issues that you governors of the South-West kept away from me which normally should be discussed or raised with me but were raised or discussed somewhere else. I would not say that you were diabølical or deceitful. You chose what you would do and you did what you chose. Others could also choose differently.
On my being released from prison, for us to start from that point, many people came to congratulate me and started insinuating that I should have a role in Government again. I paid no attention initially because I had serious family matter: my children’s schools to attend to.
Sooner, groups started to call on me to directly invite, not just to insinuate. The first group was led by Lawan Katsina to me on my Ota farm. I received them, thanked them and promised to think about their invitation. The second group was led by Chief S. M. Afolabi who was Deputy Governor to Chief Bola Ige. The third group was led by Martins Kuye. The last two groups were Yoruba-led and I told them that the circle needed to be widened and enlarged. I believed that the two groups included Afenifere and non-Afenifere. You did not know that I had these approaches, contacts or invitations.
With these approaches, I decided to consult in South-Wet, East and North. In the South-West, my first call was Ibadan to consult Chief Akinloye, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Richard Akinjide and Professor Oyeleye. In the North, I consulted two close friends, Sunday Awoniyi and Adamu Ciroma. In the East, I consulted Professor Anezi Okoro and Arthur Mbanefo. That quick consultation was like sounding board. It gave me a quick and a good feel.
From that sounding, I decided to take interest in what was going on in Party formations and the special role that Bola Ige was playing at that time. Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) attracted my attention and my interest and I was being regularly posted. After the formation of the Parties, I formally joined PDP. I continued my consultation and campaigns at the same time.
For me, [b]politics is for welfare and well-being of people and there should be no personal bitterness or acrimony in it. And if you do not do my politics or play my own way, that should not lead to hatred, enmity or antagonism. It is a matter of ideas, policies, competition and choice. While competing with Alex Ekwueme, I was a guest in his house when I went to Anambra to campaign for primary to be candidate of PDP for the presidency. We ate together and the following morning, I went out to campaign. When I told him that I would repair the road to his settlement when I became President, he retorted that what he could do by himself, he would not give to someone else to do for him. We laughed it off.
On three occasions, I visited Chief Abraham Adesanya and on the three occasions, he vowed that the Yoruba would not vote for me. I never stopped calling on him to report and to campaign. He asked me to join AD and I told him that AD as essentially a tribal party was in a cul de sac. But as a Yoruba boy born and bred well, I must give respect where it is due and let go. And that was done. I must say that there was no time I called on Papa Adesanya in his Apapa resident that I was not well entertained. He made sure that his daughter was around to entertain us. Yet Papa stood on no vote for me and I stood on my respect and what was due to him. Aremo, I wonder how much of that you knew. Otunba Fasawe accompanied me on each visit and he listened to my prayers.
Before we went into the election, President Jimmy Carter visited Nigeria to ensure peaceful election in Nigeria, he met Presidential hopefuls in Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja. As I was going in, Bola Ige was coming out. I asked, “Bola, how now? I met you in Ibadan and you said that there would be fence-mending to do. Have you done the fence-mending for me?” He said, “We will meet in the field”. We never met in the field. That was above your head.
The elections came, PDP won 21 State governorships in other parts of the country less Yoruba land. And at the Presidential, almost 63 per cent of the votes were cast for me. But not much votes for me from Yorubaland. I believe that in politics as in life, you must never stop communicating and widening your circle of friends and loved ones: turn adversaries to neutrals, and turn neutrals to friendly. That is part of my own philosophy in politics and in life. After all, life is so short, I rather make friends than enemies and live in love with godliness and integrity to serve humanity and God. Bringing PDP and AD to join me for a sort of national government was not out of weakness rather, it was out of strength and the unity and progress of the country. And anyone who saw that as coming from weakness or being in a political trouble would be mistaking.
As soon as we came into government, the first thing I did was to place all South-West PDP gubernatorial candidates in appointments at the centre since they were all woefully defeated and we were warned and we saw it coming. And it came. That it came was not the main thing, it was how we handled it. I called a meeting of the defeated Governorship candidates. I said, “Our people, the Yoruba, did not vote for us. Next time I want them to vote for us and that we begin now”. Some of the defeated governorship candidates were trying to make excuses. I said that it was not time for excuses, but time for action. I told Dr. Segun Agagu that I was going to start from his State, Ondo State. And the first AD stalwart I invited for discussion was Mrs. Mobolaji Osomo who happened to be a fellow poultry farmer with me earlier. My position was simple, “The Yoruba had been in the periphery for so long, let them come to the mainstream, at least they would know what is going on”. I then asked Mrs. Osomo to join us. She did not hesitate. I asked, what could I do for her, and she said that I had honoured her enough by asking her to come on the mainstream. That was one of the excises that took place, during my first term in the South-West either known or unknown to you, Aremo.
I visited States, some twice, during my first term, no matter under which political party platform the State was governed. It was in the process of learning and making friends. And friendships cultivated that ways last. You talked of ‘stoop to conquer’. Even in my own relationship with you as my State Governor not belonging to my political Party, you would remember that I normally called on you when I visited home. Of course, you called back on me. I believe that eniti ko kini kuule, o padamu e kaabo. But others could say they are Presidents and they should be visited first, I don’t believe in that. It is all part of stooping to conquer in life for good leadership as far as I am concerned.
Some Yoruba elders and Obas undertook advocacy on their own and not because I sent them. And those who did that I knew, I thanked them. And many did that across the country for national progress. And that takes me to Na’Abba’s impeachment you glowingly talked about. And the way you wrote about it, talking about remorse would suggest stack ignorance on your part or being an accomplice. And both were possible. Na’Abba’s impeachment began at the presidency by the Vice-President, who on a Friday when I was out of the office, invited Na’Abba to his office and convinced him as he had convinced himself and some others but of insignificant number that I should have only one term as Presidente and this was the act of a man I brought up from Governorship to Vice-President. From the first day as Vice-President, he raised campaigners for his presidency. On the Friday, he invited Na’Abba, he gave him 5 million naira to begin his impeachment work. It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my Chief of Staff, a professional intelligence officer. The game continued to be played on with me treating it with contempt as I have committed no impeachable offence except my Vice-President who wanted to take over by hook or by crook. It was President Shagari who, on his own volition, asked me about impeachment and I told him that for me, there was absolutely nothing in it. He requested for my permission to handle it and, of course, I gave him the go-ahead. Aremo Olusegun Osoba, please show me what you will be remorseful for if you were in my position.
Former Governor Segun Osoba, let me remind you of the political situation in which you created or seemed to see created a monumental “political upheaval” that I would see the six Governors of AD in the South-West to extricate me out of, that could not be done by 21 PDP Governors plus the 9 APP Governors. And could not be done by my PDP and APP if you would pull AD which was also in my Government politically. Of course, whatever you need to adorn yourself would be understandable. But I stood and I continue to stand for communication, dialogue and love and harmony and widening and deepening of friendship and fellowship. These are good character, traits and I will hold unto these attributes till end of life.
My dear brother Olusegun Osoba, I don’t know what would best describe what you claimed was presented to me on my farm with Egbon Ayo Adebanjo leading: hyperbole, presumption, disregard, takeover or what? Could you agree to such effrontery. Six to dictate to thirty is ridiculous. I had an Executive Council, I had a National Assembly, I had a virile political Party, 21 Governors and 9 other Governors from another party with my Government and it was AD and Afenifere that would have to dictate to me what my Government would have to do. I had a programme that we were steadily implementing. I would not say that you could not say all those things, but I may listen and in politeness not answer back but you should know I would not accept such dictation if you presented it. For you to present such to me was to grossly underrate me. It was the second time. Before the swearing-in, I was invited to Papa Onasanya’s house in Surulere. When we got there, we met about five AD/Afenifere stalwarts waiting. Papa Onasanya invited me into the room alone and asked, “What do we do with Yoruba President?” I screamed and said Nigerian President must not be trivialised by tribalising it.
There is one thing more that you may need to be reminded in the AD Governors and my Vice-President honeymoon. When he failed in the impeachment exercise, he made a two-track approach: one to go with Alex Ekwueme and Alex to hand over to him in the third year of his Presidency; second is for the six AD Governors of South-West not to have competition from any other party in 2003 so that in 2007, you would all yield the field to my Vice-President. You were all convinced of this anti-democratic plan and you all fell for it. I was told that I was said to be selling the idea and if that was said of me, it was a lie. Aremo, such was sold to you in Idaro. And none of you thought it fit to check with me, or I was not worth checking with, since I was not a nominee of AD/Afenifere. Have no dealing with Obasanjo as President but deal with his Vice-President and you would get the best that was clever political move. I should remind you that you were the one who told me how late Shehu Yar’Adua nearly turned you over in Abeokuta, your constituency in the days of SDP and you had to use other unorthodox means to get over Shehu. Papa Ajasin told me similar story about Shehu during the same SDP plot. Shehu with all due respect was my protege. Whatever Shehu could do, his mentor could do as well if not better. Your loss or defeat in 2003 was genuine in all the six States except the one where the figures were successfully and murderously changed as Chief Tinubu, the Head of Service in Lagos State then, accurately reported to me. I took it as what God allowed. From information that reached me from the political field, you barely campaigned and at the tail end of the campaign, you went on TV to apologise to the people for your arrogance and informed them that the starch in your agbada caused your arrogant appearance. The brisk movement through South-West by PDP on Thursday before the Saturday election in 2003 was incomparable and successful. There were lessons to learn on both sides. I learn the lesson of whether the other side is right or wrong, there should be no bitterness and there should be accommodation and tolerance. Afenifere and its political party never rose beyond tribal cul de sac. There is lesson for all in that. And it would appear that once you were not an AD or Afenifere member, you would be a liar or a deceiver. If you failed to follow my line, you must be maligned and set out as an enemy. I have never believed in tribal politics.
I sympathised with some Afenifere leaders who died with regret as they expressed to me before they died – Chief Gani Daudu, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Chief Ayo Adebanjo. I was close to some of them before they died. What they cherished, taught, believed and practised were not what their proteges accepted, believed and practised. Afenifere and what they stood for would not congratulate me when I came out of prison or when I became President. Did it mean anything to me? No. I did not even know of it until I was told that they held a meeting of Afenifere to decide such pettiness. How mean! Well, God answered my prayer that I was not too far away from the death bed of some of them as Yoruba elders. I thank God that I did what I could to show no bitterness, hard feelings or lack of appreciation to God.
Aremo, going through your Afenifere experience and all what God has done for you and where you are today, you have lessons to learn: you have many things to understand and you have thanks to give to God and to give men and women. And finally, it is not over until it is over and there is no end to humility and thanksgiving. You were overwhelmed with your own interests, not to look at or consider others. In politics, no one should be ignored or disregarded and politics may end, relationships may live till life’s end. But let me remind you, the interactions that were not to the best of my knowledge influenced by party political affiliation or card. I wanted Governors to acquire land in Abuja and build houses. Party consideration was not involved. You were driven to believe as a I believed also that it was necessary to develop Abuja. I remember that when you developed Osoba Hilltop and took me to show me the plot you wished to allocate to me to form a circle with the one for you and for Chief Shonekan and I shouted about price, you reminded me that when I pushed you to Abuja, you paid significantly for it.
But the greatest service you rendered for me and for Abeokuta is the land allocated by you for Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL. It has become the most significant landmark in Abeokuta. All of us in Abeokuta thank God for that landmark, thank you and thank God for your life. The allocation was made for the good of my programme and in the best interest of Abeokuta and indeed Ogun State with little money paid by me. There was neither politics played nor any game in the process.
AREMU OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
