Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has berated the actions of his former principal, President Olusegun Obasanjo, for ordering the Oyo traditional rulers to stand at an event on Friday.
Fani-Kayode states that Obasanjo’s words and behaviour are a desecration of Yoruba values and a grave insult to the Yoruba people and our traditional institutions.”
FFK’s reaction follows a short video clip which went viral on all the social media platforms on Friday evening, where Chief Obasanjo was captured castigating some monarchs and title chiefs for an offence derived from their reported failure to rise and be on their feet, ostensibly in honour of him (Obasanjo) and Gov. Makinde while they were coming to the venue of the road project commissioning.
Fani-Kayode noted in his reaction tweet on X, Saturday, that the action of former president Olusegun Obasanjo is embarrassing to all those who respected him, knowing he used to pay homage to traditional rulers.
His statement reads: “I am deeply saddened and utterly mortified by how former President Olusegun Obasanjo lambasted our revered traditional rulers in Oyo state and “ordered” them to “stand up” and “sit down” as if they were children.
“This is the same OBJ that, once upon a time, displayed his respect, humility, and, I daresay, greatness by bowing, kneeling and prostrating before our monarchs, even when he was President, yet today he talks to them as if they are his garbage collectors and orders them to jump up and down like a molue driver talking to his beleaguered passengers and a motor park tout talking to a bunch of jobless and worthless underlings.
“Many think the whole thing is some joke, but I do not.
“We must not take it lightly, and the truth is that by doing what he did, he has spat on all our faces.
“His words and behaviour are a desecration of our values and a grave insult to the Yoruba people and our traditional institutions.
“I am constrained to be gentle and restrained in my criticism of Baba OBJ on this and so many other issues because of my undying love, respect and reverence for him.
“This is all the more so given that I proudly served in his Government.
However, the former Aviation also swiped at Obasanjo for the way he supported the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, against the current president and All Progressive Congress Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fani Kayode goes on: “However, his association with and support for Peter Obi in the last presidential election has diminished and demystified him in the eyes of most to such an extent that it has become pitiful and embarrassing. It is also indefensible.
“How can a man who dedicated his life to and fought for a united Nigeria support a closet secessionist, a political fraud, a patently deceitful, vainglorious and dishonest man and a religious bigot like Peter to be President?
“That the great OBJ is now a flaming Obidient is the 8th wonder of the world. It makes no sense, and it is simply mind-boggling.
“When OBJ insulted our traditional rulers in Oyo state yesterday, we witnessed the Obi spirit, which is now firmly embedded in him at work.
“First, he was at a gathering in Awka where the Yoruba race was labelled “political rascals” by some Igbo leaders without a response from him, and now he has the guts and effrontery to tell our traditional rulers to jump up and down like yoyos and clowns?
“Baba, this is too much. Please respect yourself and stop embarrassing those of us who still have some affection and respect left for you.
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