Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has unleashed a vituperous verbal attack on Olusegun Obasanjo, describing the former Nigerian leader “an irresponsible madman who belongs in the zoo” in a non-restraint message sent after his 65th birthday celebration in Lagos.
Obasanjo had publicly mocked Fayose at the event, reigniting their long-running enemity with barbed comments about the ex-governor’s political record.
According to a statement by Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo’s media aide, Fayose responded with a caustic ‘thank you’ letter that sharply escalated tensions between the two political antagonists.
In the message, Fayose wrote:
“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 I’m not surprised because someone once said you are supposed be kept away in the zoo. Sincerely, that’s where you belong.”
He went further, accusing Obasanjo of suffering from dementia and demanding a refund of the transport money he allegedly gave him to attend the celebration.
“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 you back. Your leopard will never change his skin,” he wrote.
Obasanjo, in a curt response quoted in the statement, fired back, saying,
“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.”
At the birthday event, Obasanjo had also ridiculed Fayose’s poultry project and mocked his request for a refund of N10 million donated to the Obasanjo Library.
The long-running hostility between the two men has now erupted into one of their most explosive public clashes yet.
