Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has recounted how he nearly lost his temper during his 65th birthday celebration in Lagos following comments made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
At the event, Obasanjo revisited their long-running political clash, stating that Fayose was “not the best” of his political protégés, even as he acknowledged his achievements in politics.
Speaking in a recent interview, Fayose explained that he contacted Obasanjo two weeks before the ceremony in an effort to rebuild their political relationship, but emphasized it was not an apology.
“I never called to go and apologise to Baba. I did not offend him. He was the one that removed me from office. If anybody should apologise, it is him,” he said.
According to Fayose, Obasanjo received him warmly and agreed to attend the birthday despite having another engagement in Rwanda. Fayose even made travel arrangements and provided twenty thousand dollars to support his trip.
Tension, however, surfaced during the celebration when Obasanjo insisted on speaking last taking the slot reserved for the vice-president, and proceeded to give a one-hour, fourteen-minute speech filled with subtle criticisms.
“How do you say such things to a man on his 65th birthday?” Fayose questioned.
He admitted that Obasanjo’s remarks angered him to the point where he considered snatching the microphone and hitting the former president with it. Nonetheless, he held back out of respect, maturity, and awareness of the vice-president’s presence.
Fayose concluded that his gesture toward reconciliation had been genuine, but Obasanjo’s attitude showed he was uninterested in making peace. “If I knew this was how it would end, what do I need Obasanjo for?” he added.