…Commends Tinubu For His Dignified Silence

The last has not been heard on controversies generated by an accusation in Chief Bisi Akande’s autobiography, “My Participations”, that leader of pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, is an ingrate.

Akande, a former governor of Osun State and erstwhile interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) claims in the book that APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, not only gave Adebanjo a plot of land in Lekki Phase1, gratis, but also helped the latter to build a tasteful residence there.

The author demurs that rather than show gratitude, Adebanjo has all the while been splashing mud at Tinubu, his benefactor and Akande, the author.

Adebanjo only some days ago denied the accusation, saying Tinubu did not build a house for him.But he was strategically silent on how he acquired the land or whether in actual fact Tinubu gave him the Lekki Phase 1 land.

But joining the fray, a Lagos social group, The Integrity Upholders (TIU) in a statement on Tuesday, sneered at Adebanjo’s “belated defence”.

In the statement by its President, Chief Ralph Adenle, and secretary, Mrs Jumoke Ejiwumi, the TIU wondered why Adebanjo glossed over how he acquired the Lekki land, to focus only on how he built his house.

“It is true that Pa Akande makes only one accusation against Pa Adebanjo, which naturally warrants the need for two recollections.

The only accusation is that Adebanjo is fond of attacking Tinubu needlessly while the two recollections are that; here is Tinubu who gave him a plot of land, and after so much pestering, he also assisted Adebanjo to build a house

“Tinubu, as the governor of Lagos State at the period in question, helped perceived statesmen especially in Yoruba land and other leaders across the country who were financially handicapped.

“Adebanjo was one of such leaders and Tinubu was magnanimous enough to allocate him a plot of land on which he later built a house.

“Whether Tinubu later assisted Adebanjo to build his Lekki house or not, is immaterial to the fact that same Tinubu donated the land to Adebanjo

“We therefore wondered why an elderly man approaching his mid nineties is not bold enough to admit that a plot of land was truly donated to him,” the group quipped.

TIU however commended Akande’s boldness to hit the nail on the head. But wondered why Adebanjo reserved so much bile for Tinubu and still related secretly with same person for sundry assistance.

In the same vein, the group commended the refusal of Tinubu to utter a word on the controversy, describing his keeping mum as the hallmark of a true leader, one who would only wish that the needless tension is doused.

The group as such called for ceasefire between supporters of both Akande and Adebanjo, insisting that the home truth on what actually transpired on the subject is open before everyone.

“We should just go away with lessons and allow the sleeping dog to lie,” the group admonished.

As background to the faceoff, Akande has, in his book, stated, “One day, Sir Olaniwun was launching a book at Muson Centre, Lagos. After the book presentation, Tinubu said I should not go and that he would like to see me. We met in a small room where he also invited Sir Olaniwun Ajayi. ‘Papa, you can see that this document is old, Tinubu said as he handed over a big envelope to Ajayi. This is your C of O (Certificate of Occupancy)!’

“Tinubu told me later that after he presented Adebanjo’s C of O to him, Adebanjo was always pestering Tinubu until he helped built a house on the plot. The street was also named in honour of Adebanjo and he is living in that house now.”

But in his response, Adebanjo stated, “My house in Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of 3 developed properties, loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given me by my late leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory.

“A lot has been said in the press and the social media to demolish tantrums. But I owe a duty to myself and to put the record straight for posterity about the big lie that Bola Tinubu built my house in Lekki for me.

“I therefore deny categorically that my house at Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of 3 developed properties, loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given me by my late leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory.”