https:\/\/everyday.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/VID-20251118-WA0005.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\nIn one of the most provocative lines, Fayose wrote that Obasanjo \u201cbelongs \u2026 in the zoo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fayose accused Obasanjo of having \u201clost [his] sanity,\u201d further suggesting he is suffering from a \u201cheightened stage of dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he deliberately held back at the birthday event \u201cso that the world would know the difference between a sane and a mad man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fayose demanded the return of money he claims Obasanjo publicly acknowledged receiving. He referenced a previous intervention by billionaire Aliko Dangote, saying the money was \u201cbrought back\u201d by Dangote.<\/p>\n
Closing his message, Fayose added: \u201cYour leopard will never change its skin\u201d \u2014 a proverb implying unchanging behavior.<\/p>\n
He vowed to \u201cset the records straight in due course,\u201d indicating this may just be the beginning of a broader rebuttal.<\/p>\n
Obasanjo\u2019s Response<\/p>\n
Obasanjo, through his media aide Kehinde Akinyemi, replied briefly but firmly. \u201cAyo, thanks for your \u2018Thank You\u2019 message, which undisguisedly revealed who and what you are, unchanged and unchangeable.\u201d<\/p>\n
He confirmed that the money Fayose referenced was returned via Foluso Adeagbo, the same person who delivered it \u2014 \u201cin the same bag \u2026 unopened.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the birthday, Obasanjo reportedly reflected on their long, tumultuous relationship. He stated that despite Fayose\u2019s past insults, he had forgiven him.<\/p>\n
Obasanjo alleged that Fayose did not invite him directly to the event \u2014 instead, he sent Osita Chidoka, a former minister, as an intermediary.<\/p>\n
He recalled warning Fayose during his tenure about a poultry project he deemed fraudulent, and urged him to embrace humility, repentance, and integrity.<\/p>\n
A Long-Standing, Rocky Relationship<\/p>\n
The verbal volley is not unprecedented. Fayose and Obasanjo have had a fraught relationship spanning almost two decades, marked by political clashes, public insults, and brief periods of rapprochement.<\/p>\n
Obasanjo stated he had sought reconciliation many times, but expressed disappointment that Fayose continues to attack him despite his repeated overtures.<\/p>\n
Some analysts suggest this latest showdown may have implications for the 2027 political landscape, given both men\u2019s influence and their history.<\/p>\n
The exchange between both mengenerated significant media coverage, sparking conversations about respect, age, mental fitness, and accountability in Nigerian politics.<\/p>\n
Fayose\u2019s rhetoric centers on delegitimising Obasanjo\u2019s moral and mental authority, while Obasanjo\u2019s reply frames Fayose as unrepentant and untrustworthy.<\/p>\n
Some observers suggest that The dispute over money adds another layer \u2014 questions about financial gifts, political patronage, and the propriety of such transactions continue to loom.<\/p>\n
The public feud between Ayodele Fayose and Olusegun Obasanjo underscores not just personal animosities, but broader themes about political maturity, respect for former leaders, and financial accountability.<\/p>\n
What may have started as a birthday celebration has now escalated into a full-blown war of words \u2014 with both men drawing clear lines about how they see each other and their relationship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A sharp political firestorm has erupted after former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose publicly rebuked former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a scathing \u201cthank you\u201d message following Obasanjo\u2019s attendance at Fayose\u2019s 65th birthday celebration. Fayose’s message followed comments by the former President (mostly in Yoruba language) where he berated Fayose for his attitude toward him. He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":96078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[4910,500,3239,202,440,4431,5417],"class_list":["post-96079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-4910","tag-birthday","tag-fayose","tag-money","tag-obasanjo","tag-politics","tag-spat"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=96079"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96079\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/96078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=96079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=96079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=96079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}