‘Who built your houses in Nigeria, UK for you?’ Afenifere leader, Pa Adesanya asks Akande
Making do his promise to reply allegations made against him as contained in Pa Bisi Akande’s biography, ‘My Participation,’ launched in Lagos, last Thursday, leader of the pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo has asked the former All Progressives Congress (APC) interim national chairman to name who built his houses in the United Kingdom and those in Nigeria.
The Afenifere chieftain also asked former Governor of Lagos and national leader of the APC, Chief Bola Tinubu to name his source of wealth.
It would be recalled that one-time interim national chairman of the APC, Chief Akande, who is a former Governor of Osun State, had fired the first salvo when in his biography, he had alleged that Pa Adebanjo pleaded with Tinubu to build his house, located in the Lekki Phase One area of Lagos, for him.
When confronted, Adesanya admitted that though he had not read the book, but would reply ‘at an appropriate time.’
In a statement issued by the Elder statesman, Thursday, Adebanjo invited the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the financing of his house in Lekki.
He also invited the anti-graft agency to investigate Tinubu’s wealth and the financing of Bisi Akande’s homes in Ibadan, Lagos, United Kingdom and his hometown of Ila Orangun.
The nonagenarian alleged that Chief Bisi Akande’s building at Ila-Orangun 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 authorised the EFCC to verify such details as I have done above,” Adebanjo said.
Meanwhile, former Deputy National Chairman (South West) of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has weighed in on the controversial book, by asking Chief Akande to openly apologise to Yoruba leaders his book had slighted, even as he asked the APC chieftain to withdraw the biography in the interest of peace and harmony among the region’s leaders.
Chief George, at a press conference called to address issues raised by Akande’s book, which was launched last Thursday in Lagos, expressed doubt over what kind of legacy the APC chieftain intended to leave behind with the book.
“At his age, Akande should not set his house on fire. I felt very bad as a Yoruba man and as a Nigerian. He was maligned Yoruba elders and highly respectable people in the country. He was busy giving kudos to Bola Tinubu. Baba Akande is from Osun State and Tinubu is the only man that he could single out to praise.”
“From the reaction to his book you must have heard what Baba Adebanjo said. How are we going to be regarded by others? Is that the right thing to do? Baba Akande should withdraw the book that he has authored. It is very shameful. He is older than me and I don’t expect an elderly person to behave in that manner. He must apologise to those he has offended because there is nothing wrong with saying, ‘I am sorry’ I am still feeling the negative impact of what he said in the book.
George wondered why it was only Tinubu that the former Osun State governor would praise, stressing that the former Lagos State governor has not shown good leadership having cornered Lagos State resources to himself and family members.
“Tinubu wants to be the President of Nigeria, his wife is a perpetual senator, his daughter is the Iya loja general and his son is in charge of the Lagos State signage company. He has not been able to present his educational certificates and yet he wants to be President,” he said.
