From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Fourteen years ago, Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu, the late strongman of Ibadan politics, breathed his last at the age of 81. His brand of ‘amala and gbegiri politics is still fresh in the memories of people that knew him. He was a quintessential grassroots politician that was highly regarded and revered in his lifetime.
Adedibu lived at the popular Molete in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He was known as the Alaafin (Emperor) of Molete. Many notable politicians in Nigeria at one time or the other visited his Molete residence to ask for his support for the actualisation of their political ambitions.
The expansive Molete residence of the Adedibus was a beehive of activities when their patriarch was alive and was active in politics. At least one cow would be slaughtered daily. Scores of people would troop in their large numbers to the place everyday to eat free food. The popular food at the residence was amala and gbegiri soup.
Many politicians of no mean standing and political office holders would visit Adedibu and would sit down on a mat with him, where they would also eat amala and gbegiri with beef together. The politicians usually brought bales of money to him. But he would put the money on the mat with him in front of everybody, and he would start distributing the money to strategic stakeholders that could help in the onerous task of persuading electorate in a particular direction.
But since his demise 14 years ago, what has changed on the political scene in Oyo State? Has there been any highly respected political godfather in the politics of the state since then? Is there a politician, serving as a rallying point that can help in putting issues in perspectives like Adedibu? People have also been asking about what becomes of the residence? They want to know if the multimillion naira property has become an abode for reptiles and rodents.
Saturday Sun visited the residence of Adedibu at Molete in Ibadan recently to find answers to some of the questions agitating the minds of people. It was an opportunity to find out ahead of the 2023 general elections if the abode is still a beehive of activities.
A walk into the premises revealed that the property is still been inhabited by people. The premises are still being kept to a large extent. There are two gates to the house – the outer and inner ones. The first gate has always been widely opened. But there are security personnel at the inner gate that is always closed. But they usually open the gate for cars. There are a few cars within the compound, unlike when a fleet of cars was usually parked in the house when Adedibu was alive.
Pa Adedibu’s widow, Alhaja Bose Adedibu, still lives in the house. But the place is no longer a beehive of activities for politicians, though some politicians have been paying homages to Alhaja Adedibu. But the free feeding of scores of masses daily has also ceased, as there was nowhere within the compound where cooking was being done for masses. The cooking in the house must be in the kitchen for the residents of the house.
On Wednesday, August 24, 2022, when this reporter visited, a train, led by the 2022 PDP candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, came calling. The people were received by Alhaja Adedibu. After a brief reception, she led Tegbe and some chieftains of the party to a meeting in a hall within the premises.
Strongman of Ibadan Politics
Adedibu, born on October 24, 1927, died on June 11, 2008. According to those who knew him, he was an aristocratic power broker. He hailed from the Olupoyi chieftaincy House, Oja-ba, Ibadan. According to historians, he cut his teeth in politics with the Ibadan People’s Party in the 1950s. From there, he moved to the Action Group under the leadership of the late Premier of the defunct Western Region of Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Prior to the 1979 general elections, he joined a former national chairman of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Chief Adisa Akinloye and a legal luminary, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), to support Alhaji Shehu Shagari who later became Nigeria’s first Executive President in 1979. Adedibu rose to national limelight in the political arena and also became a reckoning force in politics during the military regime of a former military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).
But his critics described his brand of politics as a blend of populism and raw thuggery that often demanded either violent loyalty or violent opposition. The popular belief then was that nobody assumed any political post in Oyo State without Adedibu’s approval. This was why he was called “The strongman of Ibadan politics.” Many figures from Oyo State came out of his political brand. They include two former governors of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja (2003- 2007) and the late Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala (2007 to 2011). A former deputy governor of the state, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and also the current Deputy National Chairman (South) of PDP, is said to be a graduate of his political college.
But things fell apart between him and Ladoja in 2004 over political appointees and the centre could not hold till the strong man died over 14 years ago. The list also comprises the current governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Senator Teslim Folarin who was elected into the Senate for Oyo Central in 2003 and 2007 under the leadership of Adedibu. Folarin who was the Senate Leader during his second term in the Senate is the current chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content in the ninth National Assembly. Senator Gbenga Babalola who represented Oyo North Senatorial District from 2007 to 2011, is also said to be from the political camp of Adedibu. Adedibu’s son, Kamorudeen Adekunle Adedibu, was elected Senator for Oyo South in 2007. Before his death, Adedibu was a member of Olubadan in Council and was on the line to becoming Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Why we’ll continue to miss him – Gbolarumi, others
In an interaction that Saturday Sun had with Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, former deputy governor of Oyo State and the man presumed to be Adedibu’s natural successor, he confessed that Adedibu was still being sorely missed in the state and explained why. His words: “As a politician, he would say the truth, whether the government or the party likes it or not. He would not hide his feelings.
Whenever there was any issue emanating from the government or the party, he was there to settle it. In the politics of Oyo State today, there is no figure that can serve as a rallying point. If we say there is a rallying point, we are just deceiving ourselves. You cannot compare the way he anchored politics in the state, with the way some of us who are just local politicians are doing it. He was well accepted. He came, he served his people and at the same time, he conquered. You cannot compare him with another person; no other person for now. I am not saying we will not get it in the future. But for now, we have not seen anybody.”
He agreed that there are those trying to do like Adedibu, but added that they can only try but cannot be like him.
He noted that one of the things that marked Adedibu out was that he believed in everybody, in their actions and even in their nuisance value. Because of his unflinching belief in such individuals, he often championed controversies that have to do with them. He insisted that most of the leaders did not have what it takes to be Adedibu. He added: “Adedibu could be called a controversial politician. It is not everybody that liked or loved him. But we all believed that he obtained a pass mark. And the majority believed in his leadership. Whenever he took something from you, he would find a means to compensate you. He did not believe in a loser or winner. He believed in every politician that had the capacity to work with him.”
He also gave an interesting reason on why he is reluctant to step into Adedibu’s shoes despite his being widely seen as his successor. He recalled that Adedibu died in his arms. He said: “Before he died, he removed his cap and put it on my lap. He removed his sandals and asked me to take it. He did that just within two minutes. It was interpreted locally that he has chosen me as his successor. After the celebrations, I checked the slippers. I put it on my legs. It was too big for me. I also put on his cap. It was too big for my head. This means, I cannot step into his shoes and I cannot wear his cap just yet.”
Apart from Senator Adedibu who had a stint in politics by representing Oyo South in the Senate from 2007 to 2011, no other son of Adedibu had shown keen interest in politics until this year. That was when Adeniyi Adedibu joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In January he made his aspiration known that he wanted to contest for Ibadan South West Constituency II seat in the Oyo State House of Assembly. But he was asked by Governor Seyi Makinde to step down for the incumbent lawmaker representing the state constituency. He did but no one is in doubt that he is supporting the re-election of Makinde for a second term in office.
Asked what he misses about his father, he said: “We can all see the vacuum he left in Oyo State politics. Majority of the people have deserted the family. Only very few people are staying with us. What do you expect? If my father were alive, things would not be the same. Our intention is to change the perspective or the view that people have of him as a thug. We are trying to change that narrative.”
On how the family has been maintaining his expansive residence, he said: “Everybody stands to contribute on monthly basis to maintain the property. We are managing.” He stated that that politicians in the state would continue to miss his father’s grassroots mobilisation and style of politics in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.