By Lukman Olabiyi, Chukwudi Nweje and Sunday Ani

The controversy trailing the book authored by the former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, is far from ending as Afenifere acting leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, yesterday, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to compel the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to disclose the source of his wealth with which he bankrolled the elections of APC in the South West and that of General Muhammadu Buhari and his various properties in Lagos and that of the former Osun governor.

Abebanjo threw the challenge in Lagos, at a press conference, where he dismissed accusations that he pressured Tinubu to build a house for him at the Lekki part of Lagos State as “malicious falsehood.”

Akande, former interim chairman of the APC, in his book, ‘My Participations’, claimed that Adebanjo pestered Tinubu to build the Lekki house for him, an allegation Adebanjo denied in a press statement, yesterday, even as he gave account of how he built the house located at Ayo Adebanjo Close, Off Adebayo Doherty Street, Lekki Phase 1.

While giving an account of how he sold his  property, Adebanjo said one of the lands sold was given to him by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He said it was shocking that Tinubu had yet to set the records straight on the allegation made by Akande despite that the former Lagos governor once praised him (Adebanjo) for his “incorruptibility and strength of character.”

The statement read: “About a week ago, last Thursday, December 7 to be exact, at the presentation of the book, ‘MY PARTICIPATION’, by Chief Bisi Akande, it was said that Chief Bisi Akande stated in the book that I brought pressure on Bola Tinubu to build a house for me.

“But since Bola Tinubu himself was present at the presentation, I expect him within a few days to refute such a malicious falsehood about me emanating from his man.

“I hold this view because Bola Tinubu just some three years ago on the occasion of the presentation of my autobiography, ‘SAYING IT AS IT IS’, that for my incorruptibility and strength of character, he, Bola Tinubu, would not have been governor of Lagos State in 1999. What then could he be demanding from me after his two-term governorship to make me pressurise him to build a house for me when I did not get a naira from him before he became the governor?

“There has been a lot of pressure on me not to react to Chief Bisi Akande’s tantrums; he is a neophyte, a beneficiary of a struggle he never took part in. I have been urged to keep to the adage not to ‘Answer a fool lest you reduce yourself to his level’, but there is also an adage that says, ‘Answer a fool lest he thinks he is wise’. A lot has been said in the press and the social media to demolish tantrums.

“But I owe a duty to myself and to put the record straight for posterity about the big lie that Bola Tinubu built my house in Lekki for me. I, therefore, deny categorically that my house at Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of three developed properties, loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given (to) me by my late leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, of the blessed memory.”

After a detailed information on how he sold his residence in Surulere and raised funds in sundry places to acquire the property, he declared: “The Lekki property, the house in my village, Isanya Ogbo, and three bedroom flat in a townhouse at Omorinre Street in Lekki are the properties I have in the whole world.”

He then threw a challenge: “I hereby authorise the EFCC to verify the above facts.

“It is alleged that Chief Bisi Akande’s building at Ila-Orogun, which I understand is more than double in expanse of my house in Lekki and some other properties he has in Lagos and abroad were financed by Bola Tinubu. His house in Ibadan was also alleged to have been built by the contractor that built the secretariat in Oshogbo, when he was the Governor of Osun State.

“I hereby challenge Chief Bisi Akande to clear the air by disclosing the source of financing these properties as I have done above.

“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the great philanthropist should also disclose the source of his wealth with which he bankrolled the elections of APC in the Southwest and that of General Muhammad Buhari and his various properties in Lagos.

“He should also authorise the EFCC to verify such details as I have done above.”