Olayiwola Matthew
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday, finally ended his long feud and political hostility with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Fayose met Obasanjo at his residence within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
A post by Fayose’s former media aide, Lere Olayinka, disclosed that the former governor visited Obasanjo after nearly two decades of political hostility.
In some of the images attached to the post, both Obasanjo and Fayose were captured in a friendly mood playing “Ayo Olopon.”
“Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abeokuta, Ogun State today.
“They both had an eventful time together,” Olayinka posted on his X handle.
Recall that the seed of discord between Fayose and Obasanjo was sown after the former’s removal as Ekiti Governor in 2006. His removal was allegedly orchestrated by Obasanjo.
In 2010, Obasanjo and Fayose openly exchanged words at a public forum in Okuku, Osun State.
It was at the thanksgiving service organised by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former governor of Osun State.
According to report, the two exchanged very rude and angry words following Fayose’s refusal to greet Obasanjo when they met.
Obasanjo, it was reported, had called Fayose a ‘bastard’, to which the latter had called Obasanjo the ‘father of bastards’.
On many occasions, Fayose openly tackled Obasanjo especially each time the elder statesman takes a position on national issues.
In 2017, Fayose told Obasanjo to stop making provocative statements that could distract and discourage Nigerians from fixing the economy.
He was reacting to a statement credited to Obasanjo in which he said his generation had failed the nation.
He advised Obasanjo to speak for himself rather than making a generalised statement.
“There is much suffering in the land. The people are hungry. Yet, one of those responsible for this unsavoury state of affairs relishes in adding insult to the people’s injury. He makes statements that are not only reckless but also untrue.
“Obasanjo, truly, has failed this country many times over but not all members of his generation failed this country. There are shinning lights in that generation that have served the nation well,” Fayose said.
However, the former governor on Sunday buried the hatchet when he visited Obasanjo in Abeokuta.
Fayose, who arrived at the OOPL complex was received by aides of the former president before proceeding to Obasanjo’s private quarters where the meeting held.
Although details of their discussions were not made public, sources close to the meeting described it as “a private visit” that lasted for over an hour.