12 years ago, Nigeria lost the foremost politician, Alh. Lamidi Adedibu. I decided to string somethings together to refresh our memories about the man. Read
Nigerians have seen thousands, if not millions of politicians that have, either for good or bad, written their names in the political anal of our nation, many of them are synonymous in action, lifestyle, mentality and ideology. Alh. Lamidi Ariyibi Akanji Adedibu is however a completely different politician. A double-edged man, the rights and wrongs of mankind. He's both sides of a coin, it is up to individual to determine if he's a good or a bad man, depending on your relationship with him, or the story(ies) you heard about him. There are hundreds of stories that define the man Adedibu. But let's look at 5 of those: (I have about 10, it was difficult settling for this 5)
1. Adedibu's Political Party were having a congress and things were not going as planned. Sensing defeat, Alh. Adedibu resorted to his plan B. He asked his retinue of thugs(which he called 'Party Faithfuls') to disrupt the congress by causing a scuffle and therefore, the congress could not be concluded. His supporters moved to his Molete residence. With everyone seated, Adedibu brought out a 'result sheet' for the congress, wrote results that awarded victory to his candidates and handed it to one of his men. Adedibu ask the man, who automatically become the 'Returning officer' to tear the result sheet into two. Shocked by the order, the man hesitated and Adedibu told all of them: "I have already inform our party Headquarters that when our opponents saw that our candidates have won, they disrupted the excercise and tore the results which I managed to retrieve".
Adedibu then collected the 'result sheet', threw it on the floor and marched on it, picked up the rumpled sheet and said: "This way, our party leaders will believe the result sheet was retrieved after a fight". His candidates emerged.
2. During the SDP Jos Convention in March 1993 to elect the party's Presidential candidate, Adedibu led retinue of delegates from Oyo State to the convention. Adedibu told the faithful delegates: "Chief M.K.O Abiola has approached me to offer money to you, but I told him we are all Yoruba people and we are not bastards who would vote for our 'son' because of money. So I assure him that he will get our votes free of charge". Adedibu then brought out some money given to him by some prominent northerners who were Abiola's opponents and said: "I manage to get some money from some of my friends which we will share, it may not be so much but we will make do with it to prove to Abiola that we are men of honour who can vote without being paid".
The next morning when the election was concluded with Abiola emerging victorious, Adedibu went to Abiola and said: "I told you that my philosophy is to work before I eat and that I will deliver the votes. Now, where is the money for my delegates?" It was with joy and excitement that Abiola gave him the money meant for the delegates, Adedibu went home with the loot.
3. Adedibu was informed of a big plot of land that has been lying fallow for years even after the foundation was done, Adedibu asked that he be taken to the land. When he got there, he met a signpost with the inscription: "This land belongs to Alh. Lamidi Adedibu. Trespassers beware". Even though he could not remember when he bought the land or how the foundation came about, he quickly mobilised workers to the site to develop the 'gift from heaven'. But shortly after work resumed on the site, a young man came to Adedibu and explained that he owns the land, he said he bought the land several years ago but couldn't continue with the construction due to financial constraints. Because of that, the landowners conspired with area boys to take the land from him, when he realised their antics, he went to them and told them he has sold the land to Adedibu after which he erected the signpost, the landowners and area boys left him in peace.
He then told Adedibu that since he had started construction on it, there was nothing he could do again, but he would appreciate getting a refund for the money he paid for the land. Adedibu told him to go and come back a month later, by the time he returned, the house was completed, Adedibu handed the keys to the completed house to him and ask him to go.
4. In 1991, the regime of IBB wanted to conduct a Governorship Election between SDP and NRC, all 'old' Politicians were banned from running and some were arrested. Among those arrested were Chief Bola Ige, Major Gen. Shehu Yar'Adua, Chief Jim Nwobodo, Dr. Olusola Saraki, Alh. Lateef Jakande, Alh. Abubakar Rimi and Alh. Lamidi Adedibu. Adedibu arrest at that time came as a surprise because he had not attained political prominence compared to others.
They were taken to Kirikiri Maximum security prison and Bola Ige was worried about Adedibu, he protested for his release, saying Adedibu political activities could not be said to be threatening the military election plan. Adedibu immediately thanked Bola Ige but protested against being released. When Adedibu was later asked why he protested his release, he said: “What will I be doing at home? In that detention camp were the First Eleven of Nigerian politics. If the newspapers are reporting that the most prominent politicians are detained, they will list my name among them. Will I gain such prominence if they release me and I go and sit at home?…” The detention aided Adedibu's political popularity in no small measure.
5. In 1992, the Oyo South Senatorial election pitched the candidate of Adedibu, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja against the candidate of Arisekola Alao, David Abinusawa. Arisekola Alao and Adedibu were very good friends, Adedidu used his witty style of politics to outsmart Arisekola and singlehandedly installed Ladoja as Oyo South Senator. By 1994, the relationship between the duo had gone south.
So in 2002, in other to make peace between the two, Adedibu went to Ladoja and asked him what he wanted, Ladoja replied him and said he wanted to be the Governor. Adedibu extended his hands of fellowship and asked Ladoja to let them work together, Ladoja then said: "Without you, we have been winning election, so what is it that you can do that I cannot do?" Adedibu then asked Ladoja: "Do you know how to abuse people?", Ladoja said no. Then Adedibu asked: "Can you take away your clothes in the public and fight?", Ladoja said no. Thirdly, he asked: "Can you tell lies against somebody and swear on the Qur’an and again call witnesses?", again Ladoja said impossible. Then Adedibu said: "Those are the things we always use in politics, they are the things you can't do that I can do.”
They went on to work together and Ladoja won the 2003 Governorship Election. By December, 2005, in a bizarre manner, 18 out of 32 (clearly against the law as they didn't make the required two-third) Oyo State House of Assembly members loyal to Adedibu, with the support of some political thugs(Party Faithfuls) impeached Ladoja as Governor, the proceeding was in fact led by a non-member of the house and a popular thug(Elewe Omo) loyal to Alh. Adedibu. His offence, according to Adedibu was that Ladoja was receiving 65m as monthly Security votes and he (Adedibu) was entitled to 15m of the money.
Adedibu, the 'Father of PDP' as Obasanjo labeled him(despite not being a founding member of PDP, he joined shortly after the 1999 election) is a man that had no respect for the rule of law and constituted authorities, he was untouchable, he used generosity, thuggery, money, craftiness, sycophancy or loyalty to the powers that be to escape the long arm of the law. One thing that differentiate Adedibu from most other politicians is, while almost all Nigerian politicians rig election and deny doing so, Adedibu often time take responsibility for electoral malpractices, violence, abuse of power and disrespect to the rule of law. No matter how bad what Adedibu does may seems to appear, he will give justification for it and take absolute responsibility, maybe not immediately, but eventually.
Adedibu, the 'Garrison Commander' as described by the Former PDP Chairman, Dr. Ahmed Alli was one of the backer of MKO Abiola for the June 12, 1993 election that was annulled. Paradoxically, Adedibu was also one of the selfish, misguided and compromised principal actors that supported the self-perpetuation and life-Presidency of Gen. Sani Abacha in 1998. While he was mobilising and rallying people, staging solidarity rallies for Abacha in Ibadan, Aare Arisekola Alao was financing it.
What's Adedibu's Legacy?
Backed by Adedibu, Ladoja had in 2003 erected a campaign billboard at the Secretariat roundabout in Ibadan against the order of the then Governor, Lam Adesina, who saw it as an affront and ordered the removal of the billboard. The resultant effect was a political crisis that unsettled Ibadan. This prompted Obasanjo (then President) to make a quick visit to Ibadan to make truce. In the peace meeting called at the instance of OBJ were Late Chief Emmanuel Alayande, Bode George, Ladoja, Adesina etc. Adedibu walked in 25 minutes late to the discomfiture of OBJ who felt it is disrespectful to come from Abuja only to be delayed by Adedibu who was in Ibadan.
Adedibu upon walking into the meeting started disturbing the meeting again, making unsavoury statements toward Lam Adesina and his government, this prompted Obasanjo to ask: "What legacy do you want to leave behind if you're still causing trouble at the age of 76?" Adedibu, facing Obasanjo replied: "Well, they told you I am causing trouble, and that's why you, the President of the country is here, that's a legacy sufficient for me to live upon. Adedibu is causing trouble, let's go to Oyo State, is that not a legacy?", Obasanjo bursted into laughter
How did the billboard debacle end you want to know? Lam Adesina wrote an official letter to Adedibu apologising for the removal of the billboard even before OBJ got to Ibadan. So, when the meeting was concluded, Obasanjo was to stand up and take his leave, Adedibu interjected and said: "Mr. President, you cannot go" Obasanjo asked why, Adedibu asked Obasanjo: "So who is guilty now?". Your guess is as good as Obasanjo's answer
Adedibu despite not having any formal education had a good command of English, his style of politics was described as a combination of 'populism and raw thuggery'
Further more, it is important to add that Adedibu was a generous man, a philanthropist of repute. He sent people on pilgrimage yearly, provided jobs for teeming youths using his connection, he fed hundreds of widows, destitutes and the poor on daily basis, he gave people free accommodation. While alive, anyone who entered Adedibu's compound with tears came out with joy and laughter. Adedibu surprisingly doesn't have so many property after his demise, instead of stockpiling them, he gave them out to those who needed them. For me as an individual, among the late Adedibu contemporary politicians, only 'Former President' MKO Abiola and the late Oloye Olusola Saraki can stand shoulder to shoulder with Adedibu in terms of generosity.
Ironically, the Alaafin Molete is a devoted Muslim, highly religious, he singlehandedly built 15 Mosques within the Ibadan metropolis, including a gigantic one inside his Molete mansion. Adedibu died on this day in 2008 at a ripe age of 81.
Alhaji Adedibu,
Ìdá méjì Ìbàdàn tí wọn ń pè l'ẹ́nì kan ṣoṣo....
Oníǹkan kọ̀ọ́, Adedibu gbàá!
Ó lọ àrin Ìbàdàn ó kó adìẹ bọ̀ bí ọmọ oníṣẹ́ ńlá
Kò rá, kò gbe, wọn ò sì bun
Àgbákò ladìye ṣe
Àkànbí tí ń yọ kọ́bọ̀ méjì nínú tọ́rọ́
Olosa Molete, Ikú baba Akeem.
"A half of Ibadan, mistaken for one person"....
I'm tired, please get an interpreter to interpret that Yoruba for you if you are the type that stuggle
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