I was watching the recent Anikulapo film when I recieved a call from a close friend, ‘Guy, Tinubu don buy your Papa and your grandpapa join!’, he laughed and added ‘Upon all your noise’, refering to my articles vehemently criticizing Tinubu buying delegates, bishops and anything, dead or alive, in pursuit of his presidential ambition. Tinubu silenced the talking drum saying, “Iwo la ri bawi, Iwo lari bawi, to gba Aya won tio gba Iya won, Iwo lari bawi” (you are to blame, for snatching their wives and not snatching their mothers, you are to blame). It’s on.
In Yoruba mythology, Akudaaya is a concept of those who have died but refuse to go to heaven, and stick around disturbing the living. Like in the film I was watching, Fasoranti resigned, killing his Afenifere leadership, but miraculously his Afenifere leadership was resurrected with a pouch or spiritual bullion van sent by a bird of unclear identity that could be a BAT or Akalamagbo. Chief Falae and Abagun Kole Omololu appear to be the Anikulapo that raised the dead leadership with Akalamagbo pouch, but why?
Put aside whether the motivation was money or anything. Nor is anyone criticizing their right of freedom of choice to support Tinubu as single citizens. There are profound implications of Abagun Kole Omololu’s scam of using a whatsapp group, Conscience of Yoruba Nation, without informing we the members, to gather anti-Afenifere APC members to give Afenifere endorsement to Tinubu. The worst was Pa Fasonranti and Falaes attempted Afenifere leadership coup, not only trying to divide and discredit Afenifere, but specifically targeting Yorubas long term political viability by derailing our unity with Igbos and the rest of South and Middlebelt, based on equity and justice, and also inciting Yoruba divisions between Akure Ara Ilu Oke and Ijebu-Lagos axis.
This cultural and political unity has been the core of my work for the last 29yrs that led to my books, articles, conference, think tank supported by Chief Falae, my mentor and my father’s childhood friend, and Fasonranti, my first teacher in Nigeria that was influential in my parents marrying, being a friend of my maternal grandfather. So you can imagine how I felt when these two giants on whose shoulders I stood, betrayed not only me, but the clan, Akure, Afenifere, Yorubas and the entire indigenous African civilization. Haa Baba ko ba ma ti se eyin, it shouldn’t have been you!
Somehow it appears the universe/God is playing a cruel joke on me that has made a career of calling for revolution against the older generation status quo for selling us out, to make that revolution start from my own household. Yet some claim for the sake of traditional respect, I shouldn’t criticize them in public. Its okay for me to criticize other peoples fathers like Obasanjo, Alaafin Adeyemi, Akintoye or any of the older generation that at some point was deemed working against our civilizational benefits but when my own fathers do worse, I should keep quiet. If I do, the name Justice I have answered for nearly 60yrs becomes injustice/selective justice. I would lose all moral authority to analyze and criticize the status quo and should just hang up my gloves used to fight for universal justice and original African civilizationism that would create the second and balancing powerbase needed to stabilize Nigeria and uplift the Black Race.
It is obvious that Tinubu didn’t court them for voters recruitment, since they were no longer politically active, but for the sole purpose to distract, derail and destroy the Afenifere they built and were meant to pass to the coming generations. The worst is that to support Tinubu’s campaign based on instigating hatred between Yoruba and Igbo, Chief Falae/Fasoranti are instigating a break up of Yoruba by instigating an Akure Ara Ilu Oke versus Ijebu Lagos. Akure and Ekitis are known for uprightness and principles. So, if Fasoranti/Falae disappoint themselves due to deteriorating pockets and thinking faculties as a result of old age, the greater disappointment would be if we the younger generations don’t kick against it, and just fold our arms as Afenifere is torn apart and Akure end up being ostracized by fellow Yorubas.
Contrary to the perception that it was Baba Adebanjo that singlehandedly choose to support Obi, it was under Fasoranti/Falae leadership that the decision for cultural justice through restructuring and rotational presidency evolved. Specifically, Chief Falae had led the first handshake with Igbos, and running up to the Confab, when the Middlebelt reached out to the South to send different representatives for dialogue towards common aspiration, the South collective responded that the South speaks with one voice and put forward Chief Falae to represent us. The unity between Yoruba, Igbos and the rest of the South and Middlebelt was what made the Confab successful, and the aftermath was the creation of the South and Middlebelt Leadership Forum (SMBLF). We thank God for sparing Adebanjo life to stand firm on truth, Equity and Justice has he had done with Falaes presidential candidacy in 1999.
For the last 14yrs, Chief Falae and I have had engaging deep ideological discussions, basically about the common genetic and cultural origins of Yoruba, Igbo and all other ethncities of South and Middlebelt. The other important topic was the science of Precession of the Equinox, the Biblical Third Apocalyptic Horseman which is the end of selective justice of religious, political and ethnic dogma of the last two thousand years, giving way to a new era of universal justice and the rise of the Black Race. The Era of Might is Right (gangster’s paradise) giving way to the Era of Right is Might (Omoluabi), especially from March 2023 when if the quest of peaceful justice is truncated, masses throughout the world, especially the youth will start rising violently in a quest for Justice. Nigeria has the fastest growing youth in the world, and the most disenfranchised so the youth might rise against those aged 55 that are about 5% but hold 95% of economic and political power.
Our discussions led to decisive action that we of the South and Middlebelt Original African civilization, whose societies evolved on Ifa-Afa-Iha-Eha-Fa, must come together based on the Omoluabi principles of equity and justice for every group regardless the size, implied in restructuring and rotational presidency. To compliment the sociopolitical unity of SMBLF, I set out, with the help of Afenifere, paramount monarchs of South and Middlebelt ethncities to create the African Sociocultural Harmony and Enlightenment to disseminate scientific and cultural information to enable people understand they are just a continuum of dialects of the same civilization balkanized into tribes by the European colonists. Chief Falae led the Afenifere delegation to Enugu for the Handshake across Niger. We even had in-depth discussions on who or how to choose an Igbo candidate to support, and these were all during Fasoranti leadership. Even when Fasoranti retired the discussions continued and they obviously supported the progressive ideals until Tinubu happened.
It was unbelievable Chief Falae could endorse Tinubu that he had pilloried for the past 20yrs. Infact I wept unconsolably seeing the giants I stood on their shoulders diminish themselves and the Yoruba collective in public. Chief Falae, an economist and past Finance minister even went as far as saying that he would feel at ease to retire under Tinubu presidency who he claimed had advanced and revolutionized Lagos economy. That’s when my jaw dropped completely. Yes, we have heard how Tinubu buys everybody, but there is also a spiritual allegation that the APC broom turned upwards sweeps away reasoning which is why people voted Buhari, a democracy killing coup plotter as president.
To add to the absurdity of political and institutional Akudaayaism of bringing back a dead leadership to overthrow a current leadership and executive committee, knowing Afenifere is not a personal institution or Oye Idile, Chief Falae, the Economist par excellence that inspired me to read Economics, claimed Tinubu that has arrested Lagos economic development for 23yrs, is the right person to advance the Nigerian economy! What economic statistics, if not a bank alert, inspired the belief that the structure of Lagos economy has changed since the colonists left. Buying and selling, without durable manufacturing, still accounts for the lion share of Lagos economy from the days of slavery to cash crops for imported Oyinbo goods. Agriculture contributes 1% of Lagos GDP while Manufacturing accounts for just ten percent of Lagos GDP, and is still a Gala, Guilder and Opa faaji economy as the Food, Breverages and Tobacco manufacturing subsector still accounts for 77% of the Manufacturing production. Iron and steel subsector that is the proof of an industrializing economy only accounts for 7% of the manufacturing output and less than 1% of the Lagos economic output.
Industrialization is the mechanization of work processes mainly in agriculture and transport, most especially railways that are the foundations of every industrialization, since for every job in created in railways about 15 to 20 other jobs are created across others sectors of the economy, the highest employment and income multipier in a developing economy. Therefore how can Chief Falae praise Tinubu for uplifting Lagos economy when the railways that should have been the launchpad of industrialization continues to be retarded by Tinubu, who in 23 years could only build 16km out of the required 160km of metroline, the same 23yrs (1827 to 1850) that took the USA to build 14,000kms to stimulate it’s industrialization. Lagos-Ibadan and Kaduna-Abuja about 160km took 4yrs. Instead of building the complete metroline system, Tinubu arrested it’s development, constricting 80% of Lagosian to walk or travel in Danfos, stuck in traffic 2hrs every day, costing N4.4 trillion in loss of productivity and fuel, air pollution costing N1b and over ten thousand lives every year and multiple taxation, whereby Tinubu is the only beneficiary using touts to collect money for IGR and using them as political thugs. This is what my father and mentor stood up in public to support. Fasonranti was my first teacher and Falae my last teacher over the last decade. Apparently, my teachers like Fela Teachers have taught me nonsense that they have discarded.
When rumors of a Tinubu buyout reached me, I scurried to Akure to plead with Chief Falae not to burn the house down on we his children and followers. Initially he denied, then became unclear before finally telling me over the phone that he owed nobody any explanation for the action being taken. I reminded him that from our discussions, ASHE Foundation was created, I had become Obidient movement NCC SW coordinator, and over 120 Afenifere were members of Obi’s campaign council, but he bluntly said that was our problem.
Yes, Babas just as you have the freedom to do what you believe are your economic and political preferences, we also have the freedom without an family or cultural sentiments, to do what we normally do. In my case, I analyze, criticize and strategize issues affecting our collective development, and use my pen to attack or sub whoever goes against our collective aspirations. My biological father Jaiyeola taught me never to be afraid to say the truth no matter who you might offend. Silence is consent and if your fathers, tribes or acquaintances are doing evil distance yourself, otherwise you will be swept away with the impeding Apocalypse of the 3rd Horseman/Age of Shango starting from 2023. Stand with Right, not Might. Stand with Equity, justice and progress.
Prince Justice Faloye
