Elderstatesman and Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo on Thursday described Aremo Olusegun Osoba, a former  governor of Ogun state as an unprincipled politician who sold out on restructuring on whose platform he and other South West governors  were elected in 1999.

Adebanjo who was reacting to an interview granted by Osoba in which he challenged him on the zoning of 2023 presidency to the South East, said the eminent journalist was speaking from a position of ignorance as the issue of the 2023 presidency is not a Yoruba affair.
“He is speaking from a position of ignorance. The issue of 2023 presidency is not a Yoruba issue, it is about nationalism. Presidency is not a Yoruba affair. That is what they don’t understand”.
“We are talking of the rotation of the presidency. Osoba and his likes are so narrow-minded and unprincipled. It is not a question of whether Yoruba leaders sit down to discuss it or not. They are so parochial in their approach to issues”.
“When we are talking of rotation of the presidency, Yorubas have had it; Fulanis have had it; Ijaws have had it but Igbos have not had it. Is that how to keep Nigeria together? He should stop talking nonsense”.

Earlier, Osoba in his interview had described Adebanjo as a dictator who does not give room for alternative views. He  also challenged Adebanjo’s authority to say that the Yoruba would boycott the 2023 general elections.


According to Osoba "I have over time tried hard to give him respect because of the difference in our ages as a senior brother. I will now come out forcefully, to reply Chief Adebanjo any time he speaks". 


"We were together on a programme about a month ago where he accused me of being a sellout and I challenge him that he knows me long enough to know that I have an impeccable character in terms of integrity and he admitted that he did not say I am corrupt but that I am not reliable as I sold out on the issue of restructuring.”


”Chief Ayo Adebanjo accused me of being a sell out. I have not sold out on restructuring. I have consistently campaigned for a Canadian or Australian model of true federalism.
“His attitude is that you must always agree with his own definition. This rigid attitude is contrary to the attitude of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who encouraged debate.”

He said: “In his(Adebanjo) own dictatorial way, he said he has now zoned the presidency to the Igbo. I want to query him; who is he to zone the Yoruba out of the presidential race in 2023? “Where did we meet as Yoruba to say that we are ceding the presidency to the Igbo? Awolowo would not behave like that. There would be a meeting for consensus. Of course, the Igbo have a right to contest in 2023 just as I, as a Yoruba man would preach the right of us the Yoruba to contest.

“He (Adebanjo) has unilaterally zoned it to the Igbo; that is part of his dictatorial attitude. He is a dictator. He also said we would boycott 2023 elections, where did we sit down to decide that the Yoruba would boycott the 2023 elections?”

Chief Osoba noted that Adebanjo was instrumental to Afenifere breaking up into different subgroups and accused him of speaking so annoyingly about different people.

“It is the likes of Adebanjo that made Afenifere to break into different groups. Let us first of all unite all the different groups within the Yoruba race. Can we go into war with these different groups? We have about 12 groups in Yoruba race today. Yoruba are intellectually endowed.

Osoba said Adebanjo had always opposed him, recalling that he objected to his appointment as the Managing Director of Daily Times, his governorship ambition in 1990 and his governorship bid in 1998.
He said while he supported Prof. Afolabi Olabimtan against him in the Third Republic, he also supported Dr. Femi Okurounmu against him in 1998.
Osoba flayed the Afenifere chieftain for peddling the name of the late sage while attacking his foes, wondering where Awo appointed him as his successor.

Speaking further,  he said Adebanjo was not more closer to Awo than him and his two media colleagues, Peter Ajayi of Sketch and Felix Adenaike of Tribune, who he fondly referred to as the three musterkeers.
Osoba said while Awo was an astute manager of men and resources, “Adebanjo has not managed anything. That was the difference. Awo managed people. What has he(Adebanjo) achieved in his legal profession? Any landmark case?”

He also doubted that the Remo-born politician was a consistent progressive, saying that he is fond of supporting candidates running on conservative platforms.

He said:”In 2003, when we lost elections, they were gloating. They were making jest of us-myself and Chief Bisi Akande. Otunba Niyi Adebayo even stormed out of their meetings.

“Adebanjo started hobnobbing with Gbenga Daniel in Ogun, Mimiko in Ondo and Oyinlola in Osun. Now, he is supporting Makinde in Oyo. He said we sold out to Buhari. But, he was campaigning for Atiku and he supported Jonathan.”