The dirty fight between Obasanjo and Fayose: How it started

Less than 48 hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo attended the 65th birthday ceremony of the ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, the two leaders appeared to have renewed their hostilities as they engaged in a dirty war.

Obasanjo had shared his thoughts on former Ekiti State Governor past mistakes while celebrating his achievements in the political landscape on Saturday.

For nearly two decades, the two men nursed animosity towards each other. The hostility between them harked back to 2006 when Fayose and his then deputy governor, Abiodun Olujimi, were removed from office by the state House of Assembly. Fayose believed then-President Obasanjo to be the architect of the plot for his removal from office.

In October 2006, less than a month after Fayose was removed from office, Obasanjo declared a state of emergency in the state, following the turmoil that resulted from the impeachment saga.

The state of emergency saw the state House of Assembly suspended, as President Obasanjo appointed Tunji Olurin as the sole administrator of the state. Mr Olurin governed the state till April 2007.

While the animosity between them lingered, Fayose never missed an opportunity to attack Obasanjo. He once asked for a refund of the N10 million he donated to the presidential library built by Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in 2005 with interest. He said Obasanjo, as president, compelled the governors who were members of the Peoples Democratic Party to donate N10 million each to his project.

At the birthday celebration, Saturday, the ex-president recounted how he knew the host, supported his governorship bid, and their relationship turned sour.

“I knew you (Fayose) because of the initiative that you took to start giving water in Ekiti, and that was what set you apart,” Obasanjo said.

“I didn’t know you before then. I was told to support S.K Babalola, who had a beautiful track record in the NUT for many years,” Obasanjo said. “But when you came up, then I dropped him — he wasn’t even in our (political) party.”

The former president said, as governor, Fayose consulted with him on how to help the poultry farmers, and he advised him to subsidise the chick feeds for them instead of going into poultry.

“You decided you were going into poultry, and I said, … what will you do? And it comes in four days,” Obasanjo said.

He recalled that he once made a trip to his poultry farm and noticed that it was clean.

“And I turned to you and said Ayo, ‘your chicks don’t poo?’ And I heard your brother, Oyinlola, saying to you quietly that ‘If he doesn’t know anything , he knows poultry.’

Obasanjo said the former governor had come to him at least twice to apologise for his wrongdoings and he forgave him, but that “it (insults) didn’t stop.”

He said at one time, Fayose was accompanied by his wife to seek forgiveness at former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s residence.

The former president also recounted his surprise when he first learnt of Fayose’s invitation.

He recalled that Fayose first reached out to him through former transportation minister Osita Chidoka, whom he described as a political son.

When Osita came to me and said, ‘Ayo,’ I asked, ‘Ayo who?’ He said Ayo Fayose. I told him to tell him, the message has been delivered.”

He noted that Fayose called him afterwards, and he told him that he could come anytime to see him. Obasanjo said, “Everybody should learn a lesson from that,” adding that the former governor still took precaution before coming to see him.

Meanwhile, Obasanjo said he had to cut short his trip to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, to be present at the occasion.

He noted that he was supposed to be in Rwanda till Sunday but had to return on Saturday around 1 a.m. to grace the birthday celebration since he had promised Fayose to be present “whatever it takes”.

He however said he hinged his attendance on Fayose’s undertaking to pay for his flight back to Nigeria, as he was not prepared to pay for it from his pension. He said, although Fayose sent some money to him, billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote sent an airplane that brought him back to the country.

In his reply to Obasanjo remarks, Fayose sent Obasanjo a damning “thank you” letter

The “Thank you” note by SMS to the former President, which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi on Monday, reads: “Dear Baba Obasanjo, I trust this meets you well.Your coming to my birthday party, I appreciate except for your very irresponsible comments at your age. You went so low but am not surprised because someone once said you are supposed be kept away in the zoo. Sincerely thats where you belong.

“I kept quiet or did not reply you at the function so that the world will know the difference between a sane and a mad man that you are.It is also obvious that you have also lost your sanity OR should I say is the heightened stage of dementia. Not to worry Baba., I shall set the records straight in due course of time.Lastly I shall appreciate if you return my money since you publicly admitted you received but Dangote brought u back.

“Your leopard will never change his skin”, the letter reads.

The former President replied tacitly: “Ayo, thanks for your “Thank You” message which undisguisedly revealed who and what you are, unchanged and unchangeable. Your money has been sent back through Foluso Adeagbo who brought it and in the same bag as he brought it unopened by me”.
“Obj.”

Kehinde Akinyemi
Special Assistant on Media
Former President to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
17th Nov 2025.