By Dapo Akinrefon

Mr Akin Osuntokun, a former presidential aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in this interview, says that late Afenifere leader, PA Ayo Adebanjo, would be remembered as an encyclopedia on pre-and post colonial history of Nigeria. He shares his thoughts on how the late Awoist would be remembered. Excerpts:

What would you miss about Pa Ayo Adebanjo?

First is his institutional memory. In a manner of speaking, he was comparable to an encyclopedia on pre – and post colonial history of the latter. He was a participant observer of the political history of Nigeria at the most critical stages. He had been organising secretary (Remo division) right from the get-go.

It is, of course, a platitude to say that he was the most trusted and committed lieutenant of the Yoruba patriarch, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, after whom he named his first son. To him, Awolowo could do no wrong. Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi once engaged him in discussion and noted that Awolowo made a mistake in one or two occasions. Wherein Adebanjo flared up and told the former to perish such thoughts (that Awolowo could do no wrong). I’m bringing this (papal infallibility) because it is the general perception of Adebanjo. More important is that I do not know him as such. I wrote a column several years ago in which I was critical of Awolowo. I believed he should not have left his position as Premier. His stewardship was excellent and clearly showed that the Western region was at par with countries like Brazil, India, Malaysia, etc, in the ladder of development. My position was that he should stay behind to consolidate these development strides rather than seeking the phantom to become the Prime Minister of Nigeria.

As borne out of his later day experience, it was cause doomed to fail. Nigeria was and still is structurally rigged against reformist rationality. I thought that having read the column, Adebanjo was calling to castigate me.

So, I didn’t pick his call. When, nonetheless, he kept calling, I picked up the phone. To my utmost surprise, he was calling to identify with my reflections that he too believed that Awolowo should have remained Premier of the Western Region

How should Afenifere and the South West governors immortalise the late leader?

A steadfast commitment to the realisation of the restoration of federalism (restructuring) in Nigeria. He would have been the happiest man were this to have been realised in his lifetime

By endowing a chair in the faculty of social science in publicly owned Nigerian universities

Pa Adebanjo was a strong opposition voice in Nigeria especially in the South West, do you think we can have another Ayo Adebanjo in Nigeria?

Of course, we can and would even do better. As Bertold Brecht once said. Unlucky is the land that has no hero and unhappy is the land that is in need of one

Afenifere seems factionalized at the moment, don’t you think it is time to close ranks?

Also, do you envisage the possibility of Pa Adebanjo’s death unifying the organization?

It all depends on the reason for disagreement. For instance, we don’t believe in the bread and butter politics of my son, right or wrong, with regards to President Bola Tinubu.

Fundamentally, we have a divergent view of the mission and vision of Afenifere. Their Afenifere is a socio-cultural organization, but ours is a left of centre ideological pressure group. We remain an emergent political party.

The late Adebanjo dreamt of a Nigeria where true federalism and restructuring will thrive, do you also share his dream?

Of course, I do. That is the only hope of a durable Nigeria. In the pervasive turmoil in which Nigeria is trapped, there is no other way.

As I keep reminding people, there was a reason in the first place that recommended federalism as the formula for stabilising and developing Nigeria. This formula was fashioned by the trio (with the British as overseer) of the most legitimate, the most capable, and the most charitable Nigeria political leaders.

At no point did Nigeria sit together to thrash this utilitarian constitutional structure. This constitution was torn into shreds by a couple of hotheaded military chaps in 2 1966. Not in so many words, the farther Nigeria strayed from the vision of our independence constitution, the worst of it, does Nigeria become. We are running and rushing blind to meet our appointment with a tragic fate.

Will that happen during this present administration?

In the life of this administration? Not unless Nigeria undergoes spiritual cleansing and experiences the dramatic transformation akin to that of Paul on the way to Damascus. We would have to believe in miracles