Ogun Monarch Slams Fayose Over Insult on Obasanjo

An Ogun State traditional ruler, the Olu of Orile Kemta, Oba Adetokunbo Tejuosho, has strongly criticised former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, over what he described as a disrespectful message sent to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Oba Tejuosho, in a statement titled “A Royal Rebuke to Ayo Fayose,” condemned the ex-governor’s remarks as reckless, uncultured, and unbecoming of a public figure. The monarch warned that Fayose could face the consequences of his actions in due course.

Fayose had, on Monday, reacted to comments made by Obasanjo at his 65th birthday celebration in Lagos, describing the 89-year-old ex-president as belonging “in the zoo.”

Reacting on Tuesday, Oba Tejuosho said the former governor’s message reflected “hollowness and arrogance against nothing substantial.” He added that Obasanjo, as a former military head of state and two-term president from 1999 to 2007, is a global statesman and a respected father figure in Yorubaland.

“Mr. Fayose, your recent message to our Baba Obasanjo was not an act of courage; it was simply reckless and unguarded,” the monarch stated.

He further emphasised: “There is a difference between courage and mere hardiness. Your actions were an echo of someone who forgets that elders are pillars of our civilisation. You spoke to a general while ignoring the ground his discipline, service, and sacrifices helped secure. You have thrown stones at a colossus while standing barefoot on a hill he built. You forget that the heavens eventually return what is cast upon them.”

The incident has continued to generate reactions across political and social media platforms, highlighting tensions among political figures in the country.