Home Opinion TRIBUTE: Ajimobi Loved Good Argument About Governance In Nigeria | Soji Adejumo

TRIBUTE: Ajimobi Loved Good Argument About Governance In Nigeria | Soji Adejumo

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I would have loved to just write a one-line condolence on Governor Ajimobi but that is impossible so bear with me as I write just a little bit of my relationship with him.

Senator Ishiak Abiola Ajimobi was a very unique man. He was a very tenacious person and very intellectual. He always had a road map for any assignment he undertook and would not waiver from that path. He enjoyed controversies and would never accept any advice until the position was intellectually debated and proven to be the best route to take. I had many personal encounters with him starting from 1992 when he was in National oil.
Interestingly I had known his late father Baba Gani Ajimobi long before I met the son. But when I met the son and we became friends and thereafter, his late father stopped calling me SOJI and started calling me “aburo omo mi” (My son’s younger brother).

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When he became Governor, he was in the APC and I was in the PDP. He called me the day before his inauguration and we had a good but open-ended talk of little consequence. However when he won a second term ticket he asked me to develop an action plan for him which I did.

He thereafter offered me a position of my choice in his administration and I politely told him I was not in a position to dictate to him as I did not play and role or contributed to his re-election. On the contrary, I worked against his re-election since I was still in the PDP. I however promised to join the APC to assist the party and his administration which I did. I would forever respect him for giving me that honour.

I refused a position in his administration because I wanted to be able to maintain my long standing relationship with him and be able to talk frankly on any issue without constraints.

When I openly criticised some unguarded statements he made at a private forum, I didn’t think much of it but I when I called him a few days later, he complained about my criticism especially the forum where I made it and I apologized to him and we made up instantly.

He was ebullient and very boisterous with passion and enjoyed life to the fullest. Two years ago he invited me to a restaurant – 805 in Hendon, London and there and then took me (just the two of us)on a long drive through London with him driving and we ended up in his house in Swiss cottage where we continued our talks over very good wine till 2am in the morning.

He loved listening to good arguments on overnance in Oyo state and Nigeria and although he did not agree with me on many ideas or suggestions I made, he still accorded me due respect and would say that he and I shared similar views on progressive governance.

I feel so bad about his death as I personally hoped he would overcome his illness and make a full recovery. I also feel extremely sad because I was the person who asked him to take up the position of Deputy National Chairman of the party. He initially refused and said he had not even considered it nor thought of it but I persisted and I told him that we needed him to take over that position for strategic reasons.

When he was eventually appointed to the position he sent an SMS text to me thanking me for my insistence. We agreed to meet in Abuja shortly after but I wasn’t able to travel at the time.

My very last conversation with him was after the former Chief of Staff to the President. Abba Kyari died, I phoned him and asked him to consider putting himself up for the position. He CATEGORICALLY refused and said the job was too demanding and too time consuming. He said it was a twenty four hour job that would suit a younger person because he wanted to rest and enjoy himself.

Last night I called one of his assistants and wondered if I should not have talked to him about the Deputy National Chairman job. I still rue that in my mind as I write this post but God knows best. I commiserate with his adorable wife who proved to be very strong indeed. We exchanged SMS texts every day for the past three weeks until last Monday and she was very strong and hopeful in her responses. My last text to her was on Wednesday and very philosophical when it became clear the inevitable would happen. Now it is all over. Adieu Ishiak Abiola Akanji Ajimobi. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amin

Prof Soji Adejumo

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