Theatrics of ” Monafiki” at Oba (Senator) Ladoja’s 80th birthday celebration

By Sola Abegunde

A very popular Muslim Cleric, it was, who made me realize for the first time that the word ” monafiki” is actually Arabic pronounced as ” monafikun”. I hope my spelling is correct.

He described a ” monafikun” as a treacherous person, one not to be trusted, a person with chameleonic tendencies.

The Yoruba words that best describes a ” monafikun” are ” alarekereke” or ” alabosi”.

The Otun Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja celebrated his 80th birthday today and as expected, the occassion brought together politicians of diverse political backgrounds.

The Governor of Oyo state, Oluwaseyi Makinde was also present and so were his erstwhile Deputy, H.E, Eng. Rauf Olaniyan, Senators Abdul Fatai Buhari, Sarafadeen Alli and many others.

I must congratulate Baba, Oba Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja for his 80th birthday and most especially, for the events of today.

The lost sheeps are beginning to see the need to run back to shelter.

It is well.

I have taken time to read comments made by people during the celebration and I have equally seen videos of some of what transpired at Oba Ladoja’s residence today.

The statements of two prominent individuals caught my special interest and they are the speech delivered by Governor Seyi Makinde and the response of Senator Abdul Fatai Buhari of Oyo North Senatorial District.

I will start with Governor Seyi Makinde.

Governor Makinde, while addressing the gathering had referred to Oba Ladoja as his ” Daddy” whom he had offended and had apologized to.

I also read headlines like ” Ladoja Played Important Roles In My Political History -Makinde” and ” Daddy, Forgive Me, You Midwifed Process That Made Me Governor In 2019″.

The one that arrested my attention however, is the declaration by Governor Makinde that if he had not supported President Tinubu’s presidential ambition in 2023, then, both of Senators Abdul Fatai Buhari and Sarafadeen Alli would have lost their elections. I do not know why he left out Senator Yunus Akintunde of Oyo Central Senatorial District.

It is unfortunate that Governor Makinde went to Oba Ladoja’s private birthday party to stoke the embers of unnecessary and avoidable controversies but thankfully, Senator Abdul Fatai Buhari gave it back to him in his own coins, even though, the Governor left the place before Senator Buhari’s response. I am sure Governor Makinde envisaged a response from the Senators and cleverly left the place before they responded.

Senator Abdul Fatai Buhari had responded to him by saying he wouldn’t argue with Seyi Makinde for saying that he supported the presidential ambition of Tinubu but that the Governor was clever by half if he didn’t agree to receiving greater support from the APC.

Senator Buhari was emphatic about the fact that without the support of the APC, Governor Makinde’s second term was a dead issue.

That is a bitter truth known even to Governor Makinde but I’m sure he wouldn’t want to be present when such realities are brought to the fore by those he had thrown a challenge.

Buhari passed the message accordingly and with more venom saying that he expected Governor Makinde to personally receive the answers to his banters.

Governor Makinde’s statements today reminds me of the story about the concubine of Amuda our parents used to tell us about when admonishing us.

” Oniyeye ale Amuda, o ngba Kobo losu, o nna toro lojumo” they used to say.

It is not now that Governor Seyi Makinde would tell us that Oba Ladoja midwifed the process that facilitated his election as Governor in 2019.

That is a fact known to even a mad man.

What Governor Seyi Makinde ought to have told the gathering in concrete terms is how he poked the eyes of his benefactor with sticks.

I am equally surprised that Governor Makinde attributed the cause of the strained relationships between himself and Senator Ladoja to an imaginary third party activities.

That is untrue. The sour relationship between him and the former Governor is a question of choice on the part of the Governor.

He made the choice to jettison the former Governor and others who were in alliance with him in 2019 immediately he got what he wanted.

In clear terms, he used and thought he dumped the former Governor and others but the ” Eleda” of all he disappointed wouldn’t let him rest.

Was it a third party who asked him to make a Law that forced the Old man to take a Crown against his personal belief and conviction?

The choices made by the Governor as regards his relationship with Oba Oladoja are purely personal and the consequences of such choices and the responsibilities are simply for the Governor to shoulder.

You claimed someone is the child of your friend, you gave him a knock that left a gaping hole on his head, what would you have done if it were to be the child of your enemy?

” Omo ore se o, o kan niko, ori lu, bo ba waa je Omo ota e nko o”?

If Baba Ladoja is truly Governor Makinde’s” Daddy “, as he called him today, I invite the Governor to query his conscience if he had been fair to his” Daddy “?

It is too late in the day to push the consequences of his actions on a none existing third party.

Governor Makinde actually disappointed a lot of his ” Olentelafas” who has called us names when we pointed out that the Governor was not faithful to the agreements he had with people in 2019.

His public apologies today confirms our position and those who have been working up narratives to defend the Governor must be ashamed of themselves.

I thought they said those who clamored that they were short changed by the Governor in 2019 were actually pressurizing the Governor to share the resources of the state for them?

Haba! Now the wind has blown. ” Iyan ogun odun”.

Regarding the statement about him allowing Senators Abdul Fatai Buhari and Sarafadeen Alli to win their Senatorial elections in 2023, I consider such statement a huge joke.

Like Chinua Achebe said, it was a handshake that went beyond the elbow.

For the sake of arguments, where did Governor Makinde campaign for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu before the 2023 presidential election?

While he was traveling all over the place, following former Governor Wike and his colleagues of the G-5 fame all about, the gubernatorial candidate for the APC and the Leadership of the Party were busy campaigning all over the 33 Local Governments.

The Senators in question were all up and doing, campaigning vigorously for the success of the APC in both the presidential and National Assembly election.

So, what did Governor Makinde expect?

That the PDP Senatorial candidates should have defeated the APC when he as Leader of the party was busy pursuing selfish ambitions while the APC candidates were selling their manifestos to the electorates?

It doesn’t work like that. Citizens of Oyo state saw through his selfishness and rejected his candidates for the APC candidates.

The other side of Governor Makinde’s statement about his purported support given to both Senators Buhari and Saraffa Alli is that he is admitting to having sold out his party candidates for his own ambition.

I do not think Governor Makinde chew those words before he spew them.

At any rate, there is no honorable or easy way of describing the attitude of the Governor during the 2023 general election without having to see him as someone who employed all manners of treachery to save his own neck even if it meant several necks would be sacrificed.

What baffles me however is why Governor Makinde saw that topic as something with which to grandstand.

We are gradually approaching 2027.

We all know why the Governor is being nice to the ” Daddy” once again.

Not long ago, it was reported that he and his colleagues have revived the G-5. It is all about 2027.

I must however tell the Governor that there are no monkeys in Idanre any longer. (” Ko si obo ni Idanre mo”).

When you deceive a woman to sleep with her, have it at the back of your mind that your trickery works only once ( “eekan lajinife ji ni fe mo”).

The tricks of the Governor are just too transparent even for the fool to see through.

Sola Abegunde writes from Eruwa