As Opponents Tear Akande’s Book to Shreds

BRIEFINGNOTES

A former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, recently stirred the hornet’s nest in his autobiography where he painted renowned national leaders who are opposed to his political inclinations as dishonourable men. Ejiofor Alike writes that historical facts being presented by his opponents as they fight back are eroding the credibility of the new book

In what has been described as a bid to settle scores, a former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, in his autobiography, which was launched last week, described former President Olusegun Obasanjo; leader of the apex Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, among others, in uncomplimentary language.

These are national leaders who have paid their dues for the progress of the country.

Obasanjo’s contribution to Nigeria’s development is legendary.

He was a two-time Nigerian leader and has also fought the Nigerian Civil War to keep the country together.

Apart from his renewed struggle for the restructuring of the country, Adebanjo was in the trenches with his leader, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo; Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe; Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa; Sir Ahmadu Bello; Chief Anthony Enahoro and other nationalists in the struggle for Nigeria’s freedom from her colonial masters.

Falae had also distinguished himself with unblemished record as a civil servant.

He had also contributed to stabilise Nigeria during the military era as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Minister of Finance.

He was among the three national leaders from the South-west to have secured more than 10 million votes in a presidential election, when he ran for the presidency in 1999.

Obasanjo and Chief MKO Abiola were the other two.

While Akande had described Obasanjo as a “faithless suitor” and “unblinking political philanderer,” he had described Falae as just someone who has “been trying to blindly straddle Nigeria’s complicated politics.”

He also hauled insults at Adebanjo, describing him as a “blank politically-minded leader” who “never has what it takes to aspire for high political positions.”

Akande had also alleged that Adebanjo’s Lekki home was built for him by the former Lagos State governor and National Leader of APC, Senator Bola Tinubu.

It was not clear why the former Osun State governor chose to rubbish these statesmen in his new book, while presenting himself as an honourable man.

What was clear was that all these leaders are opposed to his political inclinations.

President Muhammadu Buhari admitted this in a recent statement where he revealed how Obasanjo allegedly used diabolical means to double-cross and end the gubernatorial career of Akande.

Buhari had revealed this in a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina.

“It is common knowledge that Akande was the victim – along with other AD Governors – of a diabolical double-cross which ended his gubernatorial career. Only the steadfast Asiwaju Bola Tinubu escaped the electoral massacre masterminded by President Obasanjo,” the statement had explained.

From Buhari’s statement, many believe that the bile and hatred contained in Akande’s book ‘My Participations,’ were meant to settle scores.

It is a common knowledge that Obasanjo incurred Akande’s wrath when he destroyed the Alliance for Democracy and truncated the APC chieftain’s glowing political career.

But the former president had also helped Akande’s APC to destroy the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While Obasanjo and many of these leaders have not responded to Akande’s book, others have torn it to shreds.

Following the claim by Akande that President Buhari reneged in his promise to make Tinubu, his running mate ahead of the 2015 elections, many of Buhari’s close allies and foot soldiers have dismissed the account by Akande as being twisted and far from the truth.

THISDAY reported exclusively that Buhari’s allies disclosed that: “Buhari truly and only promised Tinubu a workable partnership, which included conceding the vice presidential slot to the South-west as a bloc, not to exactly make him his running mate.”

Buhari’s boys had also added that they recognised “the role Tinubu played in helping them and the role of the South-west for voting en bloc during the convention that produced Buhari, which was pivotal and he presented the vice presidential slot in the partnership.

“And, in all of this, what Akande did not disclose was that Buhari sent a delegation of Farouk Aliyu, Hadi Sirika and Sarki Abba, to meet Tinubu and explained to him that the Muslim-Muslim ticket would not work, but that they would be partners to work together,” they reportedly told THISDAY.

The Buhari boys had also concluded that the former Osun State governor appeared to have taken up the task of “a political bull, trying to force Buhari’s hands to support Tinubu in 2023. But that, we will not accept, even though no one is opposed to his aspiration.”

On his part, the Afenifere Leader, Adebanjo, had also debunked claims made by Akande that Tinubu built his Lekki house for him.

“I, therefore, deny categorically that my house at Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of three developed properties, loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given me by my late leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory,” Adebanjo said in a statement on Thursday.

The Afenifere leader said he had expected Tinubu to refute “such a malicious falsehood about me emanating from his Man Friday.”

He premised his expectation on the fact that “Tinubu (had said) just some three years ago on the occasion of the presentation of my auto-biography ‘Saying It As It Is’ that for my incorruptibility and strength of character he (Bola Tinubu) would not have been Governor of Lagos State in 1999.”

Going down memory lane, Adebanjo gave details of how he financed the Lekki house.

Also, a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has also replied his predecessor, Akande, faulting the allegations the APC chieftain made against him.

Oyinlola said in a statement on Thursday that the content of Akande’s book questions his forthrightness.

“I found it strange that Chief Akande who boasted that he was prudent and honest as governor, awarded the construction of a Government House in his last days in office, after he lost the election, and in advance, paid the contractors the entire contract sum of N800million,” Oyinlola wrote.

The Afenifere leader, Adebanjo has also alluded to corrupt deals in the Government House contract and challenged Akande to disclose the source of his wealth.

“His (Akande) house in Ibadan was also alleged to have been built by the contractor that built the secretariat in Osogbo, when he was the Governor of Osun State,” Adebanjo had alleged in Thursday’s statement.

Indeed, the historical facts emerging from those attacked in Akande’s book, are eroding the credibility of the book.

A former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, had asked Akande, to withdraw the book, describing the book written by Akande as malicious and offensive to Yoruba elders.

“Akande must apologise openly to Yoruba elders. The attitude that he displayed is not acceptable in a civilised society. Is it his legacy to dishonour Yoruba elders?” George queried.