Ola Ajayi, IBADAN
COURTESY was thrown to the winds as some commissioners and local government chairmen in Oyo State in the full glare of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala primitively interrupted the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu in an event.

The otherwise peaceful atmosphere at the public presentation of the biography of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, suddenly turned chaotic when supporters of both Tinubu and Alao-Akala started chanting provocative and abusive songs to discredit each other.

When the former Governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja was introduced by the master of ceremony, supporters of Akala booed him and other politicians perceived to be the enemies of the governor.

Tinubu, on arrival in an helicopter had forced all attention to himself and the whole Lekan Salami Stadium stood still as he was being ushered into the stadium by many governorship aspirants of the Action Congress of Nigeria.

Before, Tinubu mounted the podium, a song believed to have been sung by his supporters was saying, they are incomparable to us.

At this juncture, the political atmosphere was very tense as the musicians refused to stop even when the chairperson of the committee, Prof. Bolanle Awe pleaded with them that they should not turn the occasion to a political gathering.

It became worse when Tinubu finally mounted the podium. The local government chairmen who were all clad in white Guinea and black caps to match stood up and started chanting provocative songs telling him to keep quiet.

A close associate of the monarch told newsmen outside that it was not fair that the Governor would sit down and watch his aides insulting an invited guest by Olubadan adding that his silence meant that he supported the disruption of the programme.
It was the prompt response of the security agencies at the venue of the event that prevented what could have turned to a free for all fight.

Tinubu, while reading the speech said, “In one word, Ibadan represented the best of the Yoruba-culturally, intellectually, politically and socially. So, to see the same Ibadan literally go to seed, under the brutal weight of unfair and reactionary politicking, was just too much for our revered royal father”.

Continuing, he said, “That was the battle Olubadan fought while on the throne and all of us must be grateful for that. True, Ibadan is not yet cleared of those reactionary tendencies, but all of us will agree we are on the way to doing that. For that, we must thank the Olubadan for leading the way for the rest of us to rediscover the best of ourselves”.

“But aside from this, the Olubaadan has been a strong moral compass when everything around seems to have gone awry. Just three years on the throne, and he has firmly established himself as a pillar of rectitude when even next door, there is a tragic celebration of turpitude” said Tinubu.

He commended the monarch saying he had proved the elder’s elder in the best tradition of the Yoruba.

Tinubu stressed “After all, things can go wrong only when elders are not around. Thank you, Kabiyesi, for reinforcing this fundamental of our Yoruba tradition and civilization”.

When Tinubu perceived that there could be trouble, he had to hurriedly leave the stadium with all the aspirants like Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Chief Femi Lanlehin, Dr. Bayo Adewusi, Prof. Wale Oyemakinde, Prof. Wole Akinboade and other ACN chieftains.

As if he knew that trouble was in the offing, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao had left immediately Governor Akala arrived the stadium.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad who had earlier visited the governor in Agodi Government House did not turn up at the occasion. He was led to the governor by Alhaji Arisekola.

When speaking at eh ceremony, Governor Akala advised the monarch to treat all his subjects as one and should not be involved in partisan politics but should regard all groups regardless of their coloration as his children.
Akala said, “As a first class oba who presides over the affairs of a complex and highly politically sophisticated community. judging by this unassailable political experience, Kabiyesi should be the first to be careful of politicians, especially those who use the hallowed palaces of our fathers as a guise to create tension in the polity even where none exists”.
Contrary to the belief of many, he said there was no frosty relationship between him and the traditional institution in the state.