The former Governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, has finally opened up about his impeachment 18 years ago, pointing fingers at former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the mastermind behind his removal.
In a recent interview on Fresh FM to celebrate his 80th birthday, Ladoja revealed that Obasanjo was the powerful force responsible for his impeachment, contrary to popular belief that it was orchestrated by the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and his then-deputy, Adebayo Alao-Akala.
“You see, some people said it was Akala, it was Adedibu. No, it was not any of them. It was Obasanjo. It was during the time of Ileya (Muslim festival Eid-el-Kabi). We went to see Baba Obasanjo. I think it was on a Friday or Saturday that we went to see him in Abeokuta. I was there with Oyinlola, Daniel and Agagu.
Ladoja shared that he, along with other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, including Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Gbenga Daniel, and Dr. Segun Agagu, had pleaded with Obasanjo in Abeokuta to halt the impeachment plans.
This revelation sheds new light on the events surrounding Ladoja’s impeachment in 2006.
We did not call Fayose, because we knew that Fayose was Baba’s son. So they knelt down and I knelt down with them. They were begging him, ‘Baba, please, let Ladoja be.’
“Baba then said ‘Rashidi, go and resign!’ I said ‘No, I won’t resign!’ He said, ‘If you don’t resign, you would be removed’.
“I said ‘No, they cannot do it.’ He asked ‘why?’ I said ‘because you cannot get two-thirds. He said ‘two-thirds my foot’ and then he left the place in fury. Daniel ran after him.”
Oba Ladoja added: ” While we were reflecting on what we were going to do, myself, Agagu and Oyinlola, a man came in, it was the former World Court Justice Bola Ajibola.
“He said ‘what is wrong with you?’’
He said: “I know your problem. Your problem is that you don’t want Ladoja to be impeached. They, Oyinlola, Agagau and Daniel said yes. Justice Ajibola said ‘well, I’ve talked about it to Segun, he’s just adamant. He said ‘but you’re leaders in your own rights. There comes a time when you must have to stand up and fight.”
Oba Ladoja maintained: “ Then he told us the story of ‘Jafitafita.’ The story of ‘Jafitafita’ is simple. It is about tortoise and his wife, yannibo.”
“I must put it on record that Prince Ajibola did wonderfully for us because he told us exactly what to do and we “jafitafita. When eventually we got the judgement of the Appeal Court. Baba said no. People said this is a declarative judgement, he said they are going to stay its execution. And eventually, it stayed until the Supreme Court confirmed the judgement of the Court of Appeal.”
It’s worth noting that Ladoja’s impeachment was a contentious issue, with the Oyo State legislators voting him out of office on January 12, 2006.
However, the Appeal Court later declared the impeachment null and illegal, and Ladoja was reinstated on December 7, 2006.
