Recently, Chief Akande claimed that Senator Omisore borrowed from their campaign fund in 1999. As an insider, could you shed light on what happened?

Akande is a pathological liar. He is my personal friend. We were very close in government. To have said that, I think he is a disgrace to our generation.

I was the chairman of the party in Osun State. In the first place, I made Akande the governor. If I had insisted I wanted to be governor, we would have gone to primaries and he wouldn’t even contest, because he ran away as soon as he left prison. He said he wouldn’t play politics again. Then, I was bringing our people in Osun State together, first in my house in Ibadan. Then at a time, we had to move to Ayo Fasanmi’s house in Osogbo, because we said it would not be good for Osun State political affairs be decided in Oyo State.

So, I brought all of them together in the days of Abacha. Then, the people said I should be the chairman. And I said no; Akande who had been the deputy governor and vice-chairman of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) should automatically be chairman in Osun State.

Then I led a team of three: Professor Kayode Adedeji and Sola Akinwumi, to meet Akande in Lagos to ask him to come back. He said he didn’t want to participate in politics again. After I had organised everything and the ban on politics was lifted, Akande now came; and I still gave him the chairmanship.

We called the meeting of state congress to Osogbo. And I remember that Akande had once told me that I would be the governor of Osun State. Let me not go into the detail, because he ditched me; though I don’t mind because I never wanted to be governor. So, we called the meeting of the congress at Osogbo Presidential Hotel. Then, they said those of us who wanted to be governor should raise our hands. Because he had spurred me on earlier, I raised my hand.Omisore, Lere Adebayo raised their hands; nine of us. Then, Akande suddenly raised up his hand; the man that told me to go and be governor; I was surprised.

Then, they asked us to go into a room and come out with one name. When others had gone, I called Akande aside and said Bisi, do you want to be governor? He said Moji, mi I fe se, sugbon won ni kin se (I don’t want to do, but I was asked to do it). I said ok, do you want? He said yes and I said it was well, because I have been praying to God to let me know if I should be governor. I said thank you God, you don’t want me to be governor.

Then when we got into the room, we decided to pick one person and I told them that being the oldest and the one who started the political movement, I would explain the hierarchy. Papa Awo was the founder of Action Group (AG) and he became premier. He was founder of UPN and he became presidential candidate. Bola Ige was chairman and he became governor. So, the man who automatically becomes our chairman takes the party’s ticket. But I, Akinfenwa, step down for Bisi Akande. Akande nearly collapsed. Then Omisore said aah, eyin agbaagba yi, e o dara o; ibi ti e gba yo si wa yi o dara o (you these elders have shortchanged the younger ones). So, all other stepped down for Akande, except two; Salami and Biola Morakinyo.

Then I called Salami outside and begged him. I said when you wanted to be governor under zero party, I sponsored you. We have a system. Then, he said akuko nla o fe ki kekere ko (the mighty are subduing the vulnerable). The he said he had stepped down. You know when I was senator, he was also a senator. I was the AD leader in the Senate. And we always held meeting in my office.

Morakinyo too, I begged him and prostrated for him; he insisted and said we had to go to Ibadan to settle it at Bola Ige’s home. Then, I wrote a communiqué; the decision of nine of us; we all signed it and that was how Akande became the candidate.


Nigeriantribune

One side of the coin.

seanet02:
One side of the coin.

Plus, it's coming from tribune.

Both Akinfenwa and Omisore are convicted criminals. OP admires them

nduchucks:
Both Akinfenwa and Omisore are convicted criminals. OP admires them

who send Senator Akinfenwa, an Awolowo disciple, to jail and for what?

tit:


who send Senator Akinfenwa, an Awolowo disciple, to jail and for what?

I'd suggest that you research the role he played as a young man in the widespread rigging and other malpractices from the AG, which led to ‘Operation Wetie’ wherein opponents were drenched with petrol and set ablaze. Looting of property throughout the Westwern region became a common place affair. While sections of towns were burnt, political destabilization increased in the Western Region and by 1965 motorists were refusing to drive through the region.

These people introduced political violence and terrorism to Nigeria. They do not deserve to be praised or idolized.