HOW OBASANJO, ADEDIBU
OFFERED ME N100M TO
IMPEACH LADOJA –SUNDAY
IGBOHO



Young and handsome with a gentle and
friendly mien, Sunday Adeyemo would
easily pass for a prey to any unwary,
swashbuckling bully. What more? The
fair-skinned ‘gentleman’ looks shy and
can be extremely humble and
unassuming when meeting people.
But, that is Sunday Adeyemo, the private
citizen.
Across the major cities and several
towns of the Southwest, however, the
approach of the same person as Sunday
Igboho, by which, he is more popularly
known particularly within the political
circle in the region, especially in Oyo
and Osun states invokes terror and
trepidation. The name is a household
name, but, is mostly known for striking
fear and terror in the minds of people.
To many, the owner of the name is a
political thug, a mercenary who is often
associated with violence and fights. At
motor parks and markets, the fear of
Sunday Igboho and his boys is the
beginning of wisdom.


Believed to possess powerful charms,
so many myths are woven around him.
One of these was that when leading his
boys to ‘war’, he only needed to stretch
forth his hand into the air to conjure a
double-barrel of which he was reputed
to be adept at using.
Sometimes he goes about with a live
snake coiled around his neck that
further reinforces the air of mystery and
invincibility around him.
Such was his dread and power that he
was also revered by the strongman of
Ibadan politics, the late Chief Lamidi
Adedibu, to whom he was an ally, but
later fell apart with over the
impeachment of former Oyo State
governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja.


His intrepid opposition to moves to
remove Ladoja from power pitched him
against the forces led by Adedibu, who
earned the epaulets as the Peoples
Democratic Party’s (PDP) ‘garrison
commander’ and marshal of political
violence that hallmarked the era.
He was unwavering in his support for
Ladoja, whom he served as body guard
in the latter’s further quest for
reelection to the Government House in
2011 and 2015.


A chieftain of the Accord Party, Igboho,
so named after his hometown on the
northern fringe of Oyo State, in this
encounter with TUNDE THOMAS , gave
insights into his persona. He talked at
length about his relationships and
experiences with key political figures in
the impeachment saga including former
President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ladoja,
late Adedibu, Otunba Adebayo Alao-
Akala and former Inspector-General of
Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, who he
alleged ordered his arrest and detention
in Abuja to pave way for Ladoja’s
removal, allegedly on the instruction of
Obasanjo.


The politician also spoke about the role
allegedly played by Obasanjo, and
Adedibu in the illegal impeachment, why
he parted ways with Alao-Akala, and his
relationship with the current Oyo State
governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
Among a host of other issues, he denied
allegations of violent crimes imputed to
him, saying he was just a gentleman,
who abhorred and fought against
injustice.


There are speculations that you’ve
abandoned your political benefactor and
leader, former governor Rashidi Ladoja,
and the Accord Party to join APC. How
true is this?


There is no iota of truth in that report. It
is a tissue of lie. I still remain a loyal
and committed member of Accord
Party. Senator Rashidi Ladoja still
remains my hero and political leader.
Our aspiration is for the Accord Party to
assume the mantle of leadership in Oyo
State through democratic process. I
have nothing to do with APC and I and
Governor Ajimobi are not on the same
page politically. But, I give kudos to him
for bringing peace and security to Oyo
State after the period of political crises
that rocked the state during the Ladoja
and Alao-Akala years.


Was it as a result of your refusal to join
APC that Governor Ajimobi reportedly
ordered your arrest on claims that you
and your boys were disturbing the
peace of the state?


Nobody ordered my arrest. It is all part
of the propaganda against me by my
political enemies. I’m not evil they
portrayed me as being. It is all rumour,
nothing but rumour. Why should I be
arrested and detained? Did I kill
anybody? What I can remember is that
some people were spreading falsehood
using my name that Sunday Igboho and
his boys were disturbing some
construction workers at a site where a
road project is being undertaken. They
brought that report to me, and I
laughed. Am I that poor or starving that
I should now send people out to go and
extort money? Far from it. To God be all
the glory, I’m comfortable by all
standards, and I’m not starving.
In my area here in Ibadan, I’m a
community leader in Mosorire
community in Oluyole Local Government
area of Ibadan, and at present, I’m
constructing an access road which is
also to be tarred, with me bearing all
the expenses. I’m here in my home,
living my normal life and nobody has
ordered my arrest.


Your name, Sunday Igboho connotes
terror to some people. At the height of
political disagreement and subsequent
violence between supporters of late
Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, and former
governor, Rashidi Ladoja, your name
featured prominently. As leader of
Ladoja’s political thugs, you allegedly
committed a lot of atrocities. What’s
your reaction to that?


It is true I was a key witness and also a
key player in the political developments
of that period. I was an insider. Former
governor, Rashidi Ladoja, was my
leader, my political boss. I rose and
fought on his behalf when late Alhaji
Lamidi Adedibu and former president,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wanted to
carry out their illegal impeachment of
Ladoja. By nature, I’m a gentleman, but
I hate cheating and injustice. I have my
supporters who are loyal to me and who
also believe in me, just as I believe in
Ladoja and I was also loyal to him. Me
and my supporters, who some people
like to describe as Sunday Igboho’s
boys, decided to fight the injustice
against Ladoja.


By nature, I’m not violent, but when the
other party is not only being violent, but
also being openly supported by ex-
President Obasanjo, to the extent of
even using police against Ladoja and
his political interests, we had no choice
than to fight back. When we decided to
fight back, people now said Sunday
Igboho and his boys were violent. When
you give me a dirty slap, do you expect
me to turn the other cheek to you or to
run away? God forbid, I always fight for
my right and I’m fearless and bold.


Were you just defending Ladoja just on
account of loyalty, or did you try to find
out what was wrong between him and
his estranged godfather, Adedibu?


God is my witness. I believe in fairness.
God again is my witness if I lied, when
they were hatching this impeachment
plot against Ladoja, they knew that I
would be an obstacle to their plan,
therefore Adedibu sent for me. Adedibu
said I should meet him at Kakanfo Inn,
here in Ibadan and when I got there that
night, already seated with Adedibu was
the then Oyo State Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Jonathan Johnson.
Adedibu later started talking, but at a
point, I told him to tell me the particular
offence Ladoja committed. After
hesitating a while, Adedibu told me that
they had concluded plans to impeach
Ladoja, because Ladoja was stingy and
that he was not giving enough from
monthly security votes he was
collecting from the Federal
Government.
At this point, I now told Baba Adedibu
that our own private investigations, as
youth leaders in the party, had revealed
that he was collecting N50 million
monthly from Ladoja to take care of his
political interests and other things.
When I made this revelation, Adedibu
was shocked, but he didn’t deny
collecting N50 million monthly from
Ladoja. I now told Adedibu that if he
insisted on collecting more, where did
he expect Ladoja to get fund to work
and deliver on his electoral promises to
the people. Adedibu looked surprised
and baffled.


www.sunnewsonline.com/how-obasanjo-adedibu-offered-me-n100m-to-impeach-ladoja-sunday-igboho/

Political thug