Obasanjo does not hate Bankole - Adebibu

By Niyi Adebimpe - 11.02.2008

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as unpredictable, whose motive for any action may not easily be deciphered.

Adedibu made this disclosure on Sunday at the Bashorun, Ibadan residence of the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao, during a courtesy visit paid by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole.

According to the PDP chieftain, the former president’s initial opposition to Hon. Bankole’s emergence as the House Speaker was not borne out of personal disdain for him (Bankole), but necessitated by the dictates of the situation and circumstances Obasanjo found himself at that time.

“Obasanjo is a not predictable person; he was only pretending to be opposed to your emergence as the Speaker then; he does not have any reason to hate you,” he said, adding that such dispositions are “all part of politics.”

Apparently referring to the unflinching support Obasanjo gave to former Speaker, Honourable Olubunmi Etteh, Adedibu stressed that Hon. Bankole could also perceive without any iota of doubt that the former president could not have easily thrown his weight behind Bankole’s emergence like that.

Assuring Bankole of his unflinching support and cooperation to succeed, the politician stressed that he would always be ready to pacify detractors of the speaker any time they complained to him about him.

Adedibu left Alhaji Alao’s residence with his entourage to pay a courtesy visit on the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana and later hosted to the Speaker and his entourage at his Molete residence.

Sources at the politician’s residence disclosed that Adedibu also reiterated the justification of the former president’s initial hard stance on the Speaker’s emergence just as he also assured him of his support to enable him to succeed.

Responding, Hon. Bankole was said to have expressed appreciation to the politician, noting that he was only on a courtesy visit to his residence and would find a more auspicious time to repeat the visit which would also afford him the opportunity to visit other notable personalities in the city, including the state governor and the traditional ruler of the town, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and Oba Odulana, I respectively.

On the Speaker’s entourage were Honourables Aminu Shagari, Elumelu Ndidi, among others.