Why Oyo Dep.Gov. Was Barred From Ajimobi’s Today Prayers; Family Apologises

By Adesina Soyooye

For the second time in one week, the Deputy Governor of Oyo State; Rauf Olaniyan, was humiliated by  the family of the former Governor of the State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

At the Eight Day Fidau prayers held Sunday morning, Olaniyan was barred from entering the residence – venue of the prayers.

Security men who barred him, and the representatives of the state government, said it was on the orders of Mrs Florence Ajimobi.

The Deputy Governor and others had arrived the gate to the Oluyole Estate residence of the Ajimobi’s in a convoy of five cars, but were refused entry into the Estate. An arguement which was, finally, settled by a senior police officer ensued, and only the car occupied by the DG was allowed to enter the Estate.

But that was the beginning of Olaniyan’s embarrassment and humiliation. When he got  to the entrance gate of the Ajimobi’s, he was refused entry, even after he was introduced by his aides.

The gate was firmly locked, and he was told it couldn’t be opened because “Madam had the key with her”. But he was asked to wait. Having stood by the gate for an alleged 15 minutes, he turned, and left.

But explaining the Ajimobi’s side of the story, the late Governor’s media aide, Bolaji Tunji, while not denying that Olaniyan was denied entry, said the family was unaware that he would attend the Fidau prayers.

He said the ceremony was strictly a family affair, and that no protocol official came, earlier, to inform them the DG would attend.

He said that by the time they sorted it out, the Deputy Governor had left.

He added: “Through a serving Senator and a former Attorney General, we tried to get in touch with him that it was not to slight him, and he could sit in a private sitting room provided by the family. Unfortunately, he had left. We, however, apologise to his Excellency.”

On the day of Ajimobi’s funeral, his wife had, also, tackled the DG for neither phoning her to ask after her husband’s health, nor console with the family after his death. When the DG said he called her, she retorted: “I am a politician’s wife. I do not pick numbers I don’t know.  I don’t know your number. You should have sent a text message”.

She also publicly berated the state governor, Seyi Makinde, for not consoling with the family on her husband’s death. “You treated my husband shabbily,” she noted.

But the Government explained that she neither informed it of her husband’s ill health, nor his passing.

On Sunday, the day of the Fidau prayers, Governor Makinde  placed newspaper adverts on behalf of the Government and people of the state, mourning Ajimobi, and extolling his qualities.