Jimi Agbaje, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, speaks on solutions to the mounting insecurity challenges in the country and what is expected of President Muhammadu Buhari. He also spoke on his relationship with the late Afenifere spokesman, Comrade Yinka Odumakin. Excerpts:

You made a post on your social media handles where you lamented the fact that five of the abducted students of Greenfield University, Kaduna have been killed by their abductors. How best do you think the remaining students can be rescued?

It is obvious the only way to save the innocent students remaining is a rescue operation. The Federal Government must bring its best men forward to send a clear signal that enough is enough. If they feel they are not capable, then they should seek external assistance.

In the face of this mounting security challenges, do you think President Buhari should resign?

President Buhari should give us results. He should put round pegs in round holes. Resignation would be more appropriate for those in charge of various sectors and sub sectors of the security apparatus.

What role do you think the National Assembly can play in this situation?

The National Assembly represents the People. A clear signal is needed from them that the people will no longer accept the mediocrity at play with the security situation across the length and breadth of this country.

Some Nigerians are calling on President Buhari to convene a national conference. Do you think that is truly needed now?

Enough of conferences! It is time for implementation of decisions of past conferences especially the most recent being the 2014 National Conference.

The late Afenifere spokesman, Comrade Yinka Odumakin, who was your good friend was laid to rest last weekend. What are some fond memories you can share about him?

I must say that Nigeria lost a towering patriot in Yinka Odumakin. Since his demise, I have had an avalanche of commiserations from those who knew the relationship Yinka and I shared. My wife and I could not have sunk into a greater depth of grief than we are in now. He was always a phone call away.

What manner of man did God give us in Yinka, son of Odumakin? Unlike many mortals made of topsoil dust, Yinka appeared to have been fashioned in the depths of the earth from gold dust. He was such a dynamic person. Shakespeare said of Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar, “This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the rest of the conspirators acted out of jealousy of great Caesar. Only he acted from honesty and for the general good. His life was gentle, and the elements mixed so well in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, This was a man.’” Yes, Yinka was such a man.

Like the oracle “Oduifa” in his pedigree, Yinka had wisdom, knowledge, understanding and vision. His analyses were outstanding. He had an uncanny grasp of Nigerian history and current affairs; about his native South-West, the Niger-Delta, the South-East, the Middle-Belt, and the twin wings of the core North. Odumakin’s network of connections was as formidable as his knowledge of all. Governors formed his retinue of friends. So were electoral officials and security agents. Ditto journalists. So were civil society aficionados. He befriended the drivers of his friends and the friends of his drivers.

He moved with the high and mighty but he was down to earth with them. If they messed up on principle and compromised on agreed goals, Yinka wasted no time in telling them off. That was Odumakin for you.

Yinka fought like a blindfolded Samurai. He wielded his sword in all directions, cutting friends and foes alike with his truth. Yinka was all about the Jimi-Agbaje (1) “message” and cared very little about the messenger. He was ready to work with anyone, for as long as they were on the same page with the message. However, he would not think twice about stepping back if the message no longer aligned. Heaven help the messenger if Yinka suspected betrayal of the cause. Any wonder, over the years, at his on and off relationships with President Buhari, former Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Afenifere Renewal Group and so many more.

Can you provide a brief background on how both of you met?

Our paths crossed in 1998, just before the beginning of the fourth republic. Yinka had been a student union activist in his university days, rusticated for student union politics and reabsorbed on a court order. His reputation as a civil rights activist followed him after university during the pro-democracy struggle. He was an active member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). I, being involved in the pro-democracy struggle on other platforms knew of him. We however got to meet when some of us decided to be more involved in the socio-political organisation, Afenifere, credited for spearheading the founding of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). We then began working together, organising the various Pan-Yoruba Congresses under the leadership of the late Senator Abraham Adesanya.

Afenifere at that time did not have a formal structure, neither did it have an official secretariat. It took some effort to convince the elders in the organisation to agree to a formal structure. When they did, Yinka Odumakin became Administrative Secretary and later the Spokesperson of Afenifere. I became the National Treasurer as well as Secretary of the Political Committee of the Organisation. As members of the caucus, we held meetings with the leadership every Monday, unless there were other engagements for the organisation. The Political Committee had as its Chairman, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, former senator and one-time governor of Kwara State. This Committee met every Tuesday and comprised a younger generation of committed members. They included Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Chief Supo Shonibare, Rt. Hon. Niyi Afuye, Dr. Akin Onigbinde, Kola Awodein SAN, Sola Lawal, Yinka Odumakin and myself. In addition to the Monday caucus and Tuesday Political Committee meetings we would meet on at least one or two other occasions in the course of the week. This was how Yinka and I bonded.

This close relationship cemented even more when I decided to run for Governor of Lagos State in 2007 and made me comfortable enough to have him as Director General of the campaign. I owe Yinka a debt of gratitude for the role he played during the course of the campaign. Many may not know how very close Yinka was to the then Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Asiwaju has already published a tribute and I recommend it to all. Yinka deserves no less.

Having decided to run for office in 2007, I informed Asiwaju Tinubu of my intention. I felt it proper to ask the incumbent and leading party member if there was any serious objection to my aspiration. I was not asking for endorsement, only a level playing field to be provided for the party primaries. In his response, Asiwaju Tinubu assured me that one legacy he would want to leave is to hand over Lagos State to a successor that was the party’s choice and ultimately the choice of the people of Lagos State in free and fair elections. He made it clear that he had no anointed candidate and encouraged me to join others who had already thrown their hats into the ring.


Yinka also decided to approach his close ally to reconfirm the feedback I gave him. He got the same assurance Asiwaju had given me. We therefore started the rigorous work of campaigning in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Weeks before the primaries, Yinka then informed me that Asiwaju had walked back on his commitment to a level playing field for all aspirants. He had now decided on a preferred successor and asked other aspirants to step down. I had personally gone too far to withdraw and told Yinka I would understand his leaving my campaign because of his close relationship with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Yinka looked me straight in the face and spoke for like 15 minutes. The summary of his statement was that he was his own person and nobody, however powerful, could change him from a course he believed in. He told me I was free to sack him but assured me that even if I did, he would not work with Asiwaju. I want to believe that was the first major fall out Yinka had with Asiwaju. Yinka gave his all to that campaign and I never had any reason to doubt his commitment, loyalty and financial transparency.
https://www.independent.ng/insecurity-its-time-for-implementation-of-2014-national-conference-report-jimi-agbaje/

Ok,we shall look to it

men like Odumakin are rear.

who are you? are you the presidency?

Baawaa:
Ok,we shall look to it