2003 Elections: Adebanjo Mocks Osoba, Others

By Gideon Njoku

Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere Leader, Tuesday morning, December 14, mocked former Governor Segun Osoba and his 1999 colleague-Governors from the South-west, for losing their second term bid in 2003.

The then Governors – Bola Tinubu, Segun Osoba, Niyi Adebayo, Lam Adesina, Adebayo Adefarati, Bisi Akande,  of  Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Oyo, Ondo and Osun States respectively, all of the Action Democracy, AD – lost their second term re-election bid, except Tinubu.

AD, backed by Afenifere, swept the South-west States in 1999, winning all the Governorship seats. However, their kinsman, General Olusegun Obasanjo won the Presidential seat without their support. He lost in the South-west, but still won the Presidential seat. Obasanjo contested under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

In 2003, the South-west Governors entered into an agreement with Obasanjo – to back him for his own second term and, in exchange, get his own backing for their own second term.

Since the Presidential election was held first, they kept their word to Obasanjo. He swept the South-west. But he kicked them out, and reneged on his agreement with them. Obasanjo’s PDP won all the Governorship seats in the Zone, except Lagos, where Tinubu, who had an inkling that Obasanjo would renege on his agreement with them, prevailed.

Speaking on the political tsunami that swept Osoba and Co. out of office, Adebanjo, known for his bluntness and foul- mouthedness said he had no pity for them. He said they were victims of their own treachery and betrayal.

Adebanjo, who spoke Tuesday morning on Arise Television said their treachery and disrespect and betrayal of Afenifere cost them their re-election bid. He said he had no pity for them. Mocking them, Adebanjo said he had no opinion on their failure to secure a second term.

He, however, disclosed that their problem began when they went behind the Afenifere leadership to strike an agreement with Obasanjo. He said they wanted to be independent of Afenifere, and to boast, thereafter, that they won their election without Afenifere. But they were paid back in their own coin – their treachery – he submitted.

Adebanjo: “It is as a result of their betrayal. Osoba and the rest made an agreement with Obasanjo behind us to despise the leaders of Afenifere because we were claiming that we were responsible for their election. And, they wanted to say that they can win election without us.

“So, they made a deal behind us with Obasanjo, and at the end of the day, Obasanjo kicked them out. They got the result of treachery. They were thinking thar the man will keep to his words, and they will claim to have won election without the support  of leaders of Afenifere. That was what took them to their disaster.

“So, it is a business between  them and Obasanjo and not between them and Afenifere  because it was an act of betrayal. They thought  they could get rid of the leaders of Afenifere, and can then claim to have won election on their own. And Obasanjo then tricked them.”

Adebanjo, however, said the 2003 election was neither free nor fair.

The failure of AD in 2003 to keep the South-west, marked its end as a strong political party.