Chief Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has described former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande as a pathological liar.
The elder statesman reacting to what Akande said about him in his recently published book titled ‘My Participation’, said the former governor is “too junior for me to be commenting on what he said.”
Akande in his autobiography described Adebanjo as politically irrelevant. He characterised Adebanjo as a ‘blank politically-minded leader who recognises that he never has what it takes to aspire for high political positions.’
Akande also alleged that Adebanjo pressured former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to build his house in Lekki.
On the South-West delegation at the 2014 National Conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan, Akande wondered why Adebanjo could not find any younger Yoruba to send to the conference to represent the interest of the Yoruba.
“They believed, even in their old age, that they were the only people who could have gone there. Sir Ajayi, who was close to 90 at the time of the conference, has since joined his ancestors. Chief Adebanjo celebrated his 90th birthday in 2018. Chief Falae is in his 80s. Note that Jonathan paid the conference delegates generous allowances.
“Chief Olu Falae, a trained civil servant, who after retirement became decorated into leadership by his former military bosses, has since been trying to blindly straddle Nigeria’s complicated politics,” Akande wrote.
However, Adebanjo who reacted during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday rejected the claims describing Akande as a pathological liar.
In his words: “He (Bisi Akande) is too junior to me to be commenting on political matters. He is a political neophyte. He is already known to me as a pathological liar. His colleague, Akinfenwa, in his book said that is who he is. And those of us who know him also know. He is just an apron string of Tinubu.
“He is too junior for me to be commenting on what he said. I signed his papers to be governor. And the condition we gave for him to become governor was that of sovereign national conference for the restructuring of the country back to federalism. That was the condition he was elected in 1999 and he reneged on that.
“We call all of them – Bola Tinubu, Segun Osoba to warn when they reneged. They have sold out the Yoruba race to Muhammadu Buhari all because they want Tinubu to be president. That is not my business.
“But telling lies is the one I don’t know and I don’t know how a man like Akande who claims that we all come from the root of Obafemi Awolowo can be taking pride in his participation in the government of one Buhari, who they know is a disaster when all those who supported him initially are now regretting that they supported him.
“There is no sensible man who will come out now and say he is proud of Buhari. It shows the type of character he is. So, he is too junior for me to be commenting on what he said.”
