Awolowo would have joined APC, says Alaafin

Lamidi Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo, says the late Obafemi Awolowo would join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) “if he reincarnates today”.

Speaking when Abiola Ajimobi, Oyo state governor, visited his kingdom to commemorate his 45th anniversary on the throne, the monarch said the APC represents the ideals that Awolowo stood for.

He also expressed support for Ajimobi, asking his loyalists to support the governor.

“If Awolowo reincarnates today, he will join the APC, because he was a progressive and APC is a progressive and people-oriented party. So, I have no apologies for supporting them,” he said.

“I want to, once again, call on the people of Oyo West to embrace the APC. We can’t gain anything from the opposition. If Ajimobi is not doing well, I won’t support or ask you to queue behind him. Some people sometimes accused me of taking sides with the governor. But the man is doing very well.

“I’m saying this with every sense of responsibility and I want to be quoted, we are fully supportive of Ajimobi’s drive to give Oyo state a new lease of life.

“He is doing well and I want my people to continue to support him.”

The Alaafin also warned those disturbing the peace of his kingdom to turn a new leaf or face the full wrath of the law.

On his part, Ajimobi showered encomiums on the king, attributing his cordial relationship with the Alafin to the monarch’s altruism, understanding and sense of balancing in all matters since he became governor.

Ajimobi said that their intimacy had continued to surprise many people; especially those he said had predicted that the monarch’s support for him would not last beyond one year.

He urged Yoruba sons and daughters to accord more respect to the stool of Alaafin, whom he described as a repertoire of Yoruba history and culture, savvy and intellectually deep.

“I make bold to say that the Alaafin stands out among traditional rulers in this country,” he said.

“He is deep intellectually. He is bold and courageous. He does not suffer fools gladly. Baba has a sense of balancing and appropriateness.

“He is a very considerate man that has been so supportive of our administration and I’m yet to see his equal. Many have insinuated that our cordial relationship will not last beyond one year. But it’s now almost six years and counting. This has been possible because Baba is savvy and very considerate.

“Alaafin is a monarch we have to continue to revere because of his panache, finesse, boldness, courage and accommodation. I have no doubt that you will reign for long and we will always be here to celebrate you.”

He added that the Yorubas were unarguably the most learned and exposed in contemporary Nigeria, having contributed hugely to the body of knowledge in all spheres of human endeavour at home and in the Diaspora.

Ajimobi advised the Yoruba to love one another and abstain from the pull-him-down syndrome, which, he said, was responsible for the deluge of petitions before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission authored by Yoruba against their kinsfolk.

He said he was worried that the race was lagging behind in development indices because of lack of cooperation and political leadership tussle.

“Go to EFCC today. Yoruba have more petitions written against Yoruba, which are mostly frivolous. I don’t know why we should hate ourselves,” he said.

“We are lagging behind today because of conspiracies.  Let us have a rethink and move our region forward.”