Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has sharply criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo over comments he made during his 65th birthday celebration in Lagos recently, revealing that he was so offended he momentarily felt like grabbing the microphone and striking the former president with it.
Speaking in an interview with AF24 News, posted on Monday, Fayose recounted the tense moments that played out at the event where Obasanjo revisited their long-running political feud. At the ceremony, the former president had referred to Fayose as “not the best” of his political protégés, even while acknowledging his political accomplishments – a remark Fayose found deeply disrespectful.
“I was enraged. I felt like taking the mic from Obasanjo’s hand and hitting it on his head. This is being sincere,” Fayose said, noting that the remark was a trigger after what he described as a deliberate attempt by Obasanjo to demean him.
Fayose explained that he had spent weeks reaching out to political adversaries as part of a personal reconciliation effort. He said he contacted Obasanjo through a mutual associate, former aviation minister Osita Chidoka, but stressed that the call was not an apology.
“I never called to go and apologise to Baba. I did not offend him. He was the one who removed me from office. If anybody should apologise, it is he,” the former governor said.
He added that Obasanjo hosted him warmly at his Abeokuta residence days before the event and assured him of his attendance despite an earlier commitment in Rwanda. According to Fayose, the former president also requested support for his travel arrangements.
“We took pictures together. All in good faith. I changed $20,000 and gave it to him. How can you accept somebody’s money and come and be spitting on that person?” Fayose asked.
Tension reportedly heightened at the birthday ceremony when Obasanjo insisted on speaking last, after Vice President Kashim Shettima, a development that made Fayose uneasy. He said the former president also instructed the moderator to call the vice-president before him and insisted that Fayose and his wife stand beside him throughout a speech that lasted “one hour, 14 minutes.”
Fayose described the lengthy address as laced with subtle jabs and unnecessary provocations.
“How do you say such things to a man on his 65th birthday?” he asked.
He said he maintained his composure out of respect for the vice-president and in keeping with his commitment to behaving with dignity.
“But to show maturity, not by age, but by self-respect and out of consideration for the vice-president’s presence, I kept my cool,” he said.
Fayose argued that his efforts to repair their strained relationship were made “in good conscience,” but Obasanjo’s conduct suggested he had no genuine interest in reconciliation.
“If I knew this was how it would end, what do I need Obasanjo for? Am I contesting the election? Do I need his validation? No,” he concluded.
