The former Oyo state Governor Abiola Adeyemi Isiaka Ajimobi recently kicked a lonely bucket due to COVID-19 pandemic to join his ancestors.
It is no longer a secret that he was a controversial man to many people.
This “Yankee” fella once earned the sobriquet of “Ajirebi” during his years as the elected governor of Oyo state.
Power is nothing without control. Power intoxicates.
I am not “perfect” and not here to mock any dead person but to state the raw truth to prick our conscience. I am a realist who is naturally allergic to hypocrisy. I don’t need to shed either alligator or crocodile tears to mourn the passage of this politician.
I crave longevity like all mortals in good health and wealth because I don’t know my last day on earth (not afraid of IKU at almost 50 years!) and people are free to say anything(good, bad, and ugly) after my transition but in my heart, I touched(still touching!) many souls on this social media platform despite my limited resources.
Ajimobi’s arrogance is in the public domain or just ask Olubadan of Ibadan for the details. I am not here to re-write history or to spread cheap blackmails against any dead person.
Who demolished Brother Yinka Ayefele’s radio station in Ibadan.
Oh sorry, na Oga Jonathan of PDP demolish am.
Who later re-built the place with Oyo state govt money after public outrage?
Let me go straight to the main story today, a trusted friend once told me his “face-to-face” encounter with Ajimobi in Lekki Lagos about 5 years ago, my conclusion is simple and pure:
“Ajimobi was morbidly arrogant from the mother’s womb.”
I challenged my friend to swear with his whole life that all what he told me about Ajimobi was the bitter truth.
“My brother, if I dey lie, make God punish me in this world and in heaven.Wetin I go gain to lie against Ajimobi?” The guy replied to me, he is still alive today.
My friend(let’s call him John!) just arrived from South Africa (deportation?) to start all over again in Nigeria. He was linked by somebody to a multi-millionaire Nigerian businessman( Baba Alaanu No 1) in Lekki Lagos to assist him with money.
Mr John(Igbo man but he speaks ultra-fluent Yoruba language!) visited Baba Alaanu in his Lekki mansion to ask for financial assistance and by accident of history, Gov Abiola Isiaka Adeyemi Ajimobi came to visit this Baba Alaanu during that moment.
What happened next must surely shock you? Please relax…
Trust the loquacious Ajimobi with his American “swagga” to drag Mr John to the cleaners with his caustic tongue.
Mr.John opened the main gate for Ajimobi’s car to enter the LEKKI MANSION and he went to the other sitting room while Ajimobi and Baba Alaanu were in the main bigger sitting room for discussion,
You know some Naija rich people fit have 3 well-furnished living rooms within one apartment.Na money dey speak now. God punish poverty front and back.
Ajimobi started discussing with this Baba Alaanu(a younger friend to the Constituted Authority!) and so surprised(or impressed!) that he also bought a superb mansion in Lekki.
“Aburo, where did you know that poverty-stricken guy that opened the gate for me? Is he working for you?”, Ajimobi asked.
“Egbon mi Abiola, he is a younger friend, just back from South Africa, maybe due to Xenophobic attacks. He is a nice young man.”, Baba Alaanu used wisdom to reply to Ajimobi.
“Aburo mi, you always love to roll with low-class people.It is your personal choice.”, Ajimobi said.
Mr John told me from the body language of Ajimobi as he met him for the first time inside the posh Lekki mansion, he discovered a man with total disrespect for ordinary people.
Mr John was not only traumatised but also “dehumanised” because he clearly heard Ajimobi’s nasty words against him with Baba Alaanu.
Let me quickly go into my own personal story during my Unilorin days. I won’t talk about one privileged coursemate from an extremely rich background who often mocked fellow students as “peasants”.
He knew his boundary with Gani Radical! TANIMOLA ANYBODY? I no go use all mouth talk on dis matter.
I was at 300 level and invited to a matriculation ceremony of one 100 level student(Banking/Finance, let’s call him Akin) at the main campus of the University of Ilorin.
Person go just dey chop free food from all corners during the matriculation ceremony. Na correct enjoyment back to back.
I struggled against all odds during my Unilorin days and may God rest the wonderful souls of my parents. They performed within their resources to send me to a university after one year at OgunPoly(Science Lab Tech dept).
Time to take photographs with this particular 100 level “Lagos boy” student (tears in my eyes to narrate this story!).
To be honest, I quickly noticed this new student did not want me to snap photographs with him because of my “rough” dressing. To say I was humiliated is just an understatement.
Anytime I wanted to join the group for the photo session, he would signal to me to wait for my turn. He did it 3 times and I concluded I was only invited to eat and go, not to take photographs with him. I accepted my KADARA sharp sharp.
On getting to the mini campus, I challenged Akin and he dropped the bombshell, “Gani, I don’t like your dressing, you cannot pollute my matriculation photographs with your rough appearance. I cannot show those photographs to my parents, relatives, and friends in Lagos.”
My own wahala with many people be like pounded yam of 20 years wey still dey hot as if dem just prepare am now now.
To cut the long story short, 2 years ago, the same Akin wanted to add me as a friend on Facebook, he inboxed me to formally introduce himself to me as a Unilorin graduate.
My brain quickly flashed back to how this nasty guy humiliated me on his matriculation ceremony day over 25 years ago. I just ignored his messages because my spirit is yet to forgive him!
Gomina Ajimobi, on your lonely journey, to meet your Creator, command all the “frustrated” heavenly gatemen to open the golden gate of paradise for you as a “Constituted Authority” while on earth.
Tell them you’re the first Executive Governor in Oyo state, SW Nigeria to be elected twice. (Clap for yourself, Bros Isiaka!)
Tell them about your memorable days in America. Tell them about your mansions in North London and other places.
Tell them you died as a multi-Billionaire politician and abject poverty can just fu*k off to hell fire. Not your business. Iyalaya Any Bagga!
You’re now a “special” reference point in Oyo state politics.
T.S Eliot, the modern English poet once said, “Not everything can go round but birth and death must surely go round.”
The Master playwright, the one and only Bard of Stratford-Upon-Avon in England, William Shakespeare spoke through Mark Antony in Julius Caesar,
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.”
I am not here to lampoon the foibles of Ajimobi but just to call a spade a spade for the sake of posterity and not just calling it a gardening tool.
Your Excellency, Senator (Governor) Abiola Isiaka Adeyemi Ajimobi, the only “Constituted Authority” in Nigeria, may God overlook your earthly sins and grant you the perfect peace in paradise. Amin Kunfayakun. Sun re ooo Broda Isiaka Omo Baba Ganiyu Ajimobi. Ile aye, Ile asan.O di gba oooo.
Dare Lasisi, a Commonwealth Journalist writes from the UK University of the year, University of Strathclyde, Faculty of Science, Dept of Computer and Information Sciences, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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