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Nigeria: Awaiting the Next Ade in Ibadan Politics

Ademola Ogundipe

25 July 2008

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opinion

Ibadan is the largest city in Nigeria and the second largest in the continent of Africa.

Ibadan happens to be the only city that ever experienced excellence in education, broadcasting, recreation and politics. University of Ibadan, NTA Ibadan, Liberty Stadium, the first tallest building in Nigeria (Cocoa House), among others were the first of their kinds to be established. No wonder the state's appellation is "ajise bi oyo ni aari, oyo ko ki i se bi baba eni ko oo kan" meaning "The Pacesetter" even before Nigeria got her independence. Funny enough, the state has been known for doing these both positively and negatively.

The present Oyo State has been a base of the powerful and influential people of old. The old Oyo Kingdom was where the likes of Alaafin Sango, Alaafin Abiodun, Alaafin Arole, Alaafin Atiba, Alaafin Adeyemi and many others ruled with so much terror, prestige and courage even during the colonial era. The kind of pressure Alaafin Abiodun demonstrated forced the British from shifting their capital base from Oyo to Ibadan, which later became the capital of old western region.

Basorun Ogunmola, Iba Oluyole and Kurumi of Ijaiye (the Aare Ona Kakanfo) of Yoruba race in those days, to mention but a few, were warriors of great value that emerged from Ibadan; warriors that could confront Alaafin as powerful as he was. The Yoruba believe that after God is Alaafin. No wonder they call them "Iku baba yeye, alase igbakeji orisa" meaning the man that is second to the gods and has the power of death.

In 1949, a socio-political and cultural group metamorphosed from "Egbe Omo O'odua" to a political party known as Action Group (AG) under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Ibadan being the political headquarters of all Yoruba witnessed a great followering and membership). Chief Adisa Akinloye, Richard Akinjide and Adegoke Adelabu were among the well-known members that are indigenes of Ibadan that joined the Action Group and left the party with Samuel Ladoke Akintola (Awolowo's deputy) in 1961 for UPGA. Among the three, Adegoke Adelabu became so popular and strong to the extent that whatever he said was law.

History has it that at Mapo Hall in the 60s, he lambasted Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who he once respected so much that he attributed Awolowo's behaviour as "peculiar mess" from where he derived his nickname "penkelemesi" because the majority of his followers and admirers were either hearing that big grammar for the first time or they could not pronounce it well.

Adegoke "penkelemesi" as he was called became a household name in the old Western Region and he assumed the leadership of Ibadan politics because of his good oratory capability, courage to confront Awolowo, who then was seen as a demigod whose face no one dared to look at not to talk of challenging his orders.

Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu reigned during the First Republic. In the Second Republic, another 'Ade' that reigned was Alhaji Busari Adelakun popularly known as "Eru o bodo". Like his senior Ade, he was with Awolowo's Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) when the party was formed in 1978. In fact, he played a vital role in the duty assigned to him during the campaign and election period. It's possible that his ability to penetrate the grassroots made the governor of Old Oyo State, the late Chief Bola Ige, to assign him with the responsibility of being in charge of local government affairs. He was named a commissioner. Alhaji Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu was also in UPN at that same time.

Chief Bola Ige relieved Alhaji Adelakun of his post as the commissioner because of rancour between him and the party. As a result of this, Adelakun and his loyalists decamped to the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1982. This action of his created great pandemonium in Ibadan, because the fear of "Eru obodo" then was the beginning of wisdom. He reigned with so much terror until he died in prison during the Buhari/Idiagbon regime.

The next Ade in the Third Republic was the kingmaker himself, Alhaji Ariyibi Lamidi Adedibu, the Olosa Molete. The garrison commander, as Gbenga always called him, who apart from the Almighty, was the only person that could enthrone and dethrone, the man that produced three senators that represent the whole state from his family in an election that took place in a day, one his biological son, second, his in-law while the third one was his Personal Assistant.

The man that turned his compound to a polling booth; the man that could close down a whole broadcasting corporation owned by the state forcefully without anybody questioning him; the lion that could unleash terror on innocent civil servants just because they were exercising their human rights; the idol that other idols worshipped, as powerful as he was, he never supported any candidate and lost; the man that cleared the whole South-West votes for Shehu Musa Yar'adua when he was seeking SDP's presidential ticket in 1991; the only person that could open fake medicine stores closed down by the Iron Lady of NAFDAC.

According to Segun Adeniyi in his column, The Verdict, published in Thisday newspaper of 5th August, 2004 when he went down memory lane to interpret how Odolaiye Aremu described his best friend thus:

"Adedibu half of Ibadan land that the uninitiated erroneously describe as one person......

Death that taunts before it strikes

A wicked man per excellence

Son of a witch who buys on credit and still demands extra

The man who deliberately injures and yet still commiserates with the victim...

The man who owes you money and you dare not ask to be repaid...

The owner rejects his inheritance, Adedibu accepts it...

Akanbi who demands two pence from a man with only two and a half pence

Adedibu went to the Ibadan city centre and came back with several chickens

He did not buy them

He did not steal them

And nobody gave them to him as gifts

The chickens just ran into a monumental calamity."

Adedibu's names were: "Ariyibi" meaning we have given birth to this one; "Adedibu" meaning the crown of the king has become an ocean, while the third one, "Lamidi," which is adulterated as the real name is Abdulhamid means commendable. In fact, he lived up to his names and it depends on the angle anybody may look at it since there is always another side to a coin.

As at today, we have had three powerful Ade's in Ibadan politics - Adelabu, Adelakun and Adedibu. They all came, ruled and left to the great beyond. Now, who is going to emerge as the next Ade? Probably this writer.

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