News
Farewell, the Field Marshall! Tribute to Chief Ayo Adebanjo
By Chief Chekwas Okorie
The news about the death of the irrepressible champion of true federalism in Nigeria, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, took the public by surprise.
There was no tell-tale hint that the great Nigerian icon was seriously ill, although he died, at the ripe age of 96 years old.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo was a Nigerian statesman and a quintessential nationalist. His kind, who are still alive in Nigeria, can be counted on the fingertips. I have always been enamored by his courage, forthrightness, sincerity, and the power of his convictions. I remember with nostalgia, the epic presidential media chat we had with President Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000 at the Aso Rock presidential villa. Chief Ayo Adebanjo represented the Afenifere on the panel, Dr. Paul Unongo represented the Arewa Consultative Assembly, and l was nominated by the Imeobi to represent the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. President Olusegun Obasanjo was the host, while Prof Tonnie Osa Iredia anchored the chat.
Top executives of major media organisations were among the audience, including Dr. Eddie Okechukwu Iroh, the Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, and Sen. Ben Bruce. The 2-hour program was extensively promoted by the NTA, which attracted a nationwide audience. It was watched in the manner of a typical World Cup match. That was my first personal encounter with Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
Coincidentally, Chief Adebanjo and I were on the same page on the national issues that came up during the chat. It will be recalled that it was Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu that first promoted the idea of a “Handshake Across The Niger” to encourage Igbo-Yoruba rapprochement. Chief Ayo Adebanjo and other Afenifere leaders keyed into it.
When Chief Solomon Asemota SAN, came up with an expanded version called Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities Forum, it was promptly embraced by the leaders of Igbo, Yoruba, Middlebelt, and South-South. Chief Ayo Adebanjo was a strong pillar of this national initiative to unit all the Ethnic Nationalities in Nigeria in the noble pursuit of true federalism and the self-determination of ethnic nationalities within the context of one Nigeria.
Meetings were held in Lagos most of the time. But in 2004, a historic meeting of the Forum took place at Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s residence, which attracted for the first time in recent history the first-eleven Yoruba leaders to Enugu to meet on matters of National unity.
Yoruba leaders who attended the Enugu meeting included Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Fasoranti, Chief Adefarasin, Chief Ajayi, Senator Femi Okorunmu, and Chief Supo Shonibare. Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu (host), Dr. Offia Nwali and my humble self were also in attendance, including Chief Solomon Asemota and the General Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress who stood in for Prof. Kimse Okoko. Commodore Dan Suleiman rtd, the leader of the Middlebelt Forum, was also in attendance.
Over the years, my respect for Chief Ayo Adebanjo grew to the point that I began to admire him as a role model. This was a man who never held an elective office in Nigeria but remained most prominent and highly respected nationwide for his nationalism, consistency in the pursuit of a restructured Nigeria, equity, justice, and fairness as the panacea for national development and unity.
The Almighty God blessed him with sound mind such that he remained articulate and outspoken till the very end.
The greatest honor we owe Chief Ayo Adebanjo is to sustain the struggle for true federalism, which he fought for until the end and until it is achieved in the interest of present and future generations of Nigerians.
Farewell, the Field Marshall of the struggle for the liberty of Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities.
Chief Dr. Chekwas Okorie, Ojeozi Ndigbo, founder of All Progressives Grand Alliance, wrote in from Enugu
“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.
A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.
Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.
Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement
“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.
“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”
Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.
He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.
“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 presidential election, is peeved at the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordering the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the move is a heavy blow and dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.
Justice Peter Lifu, who made the order, based on an action brought by National Forum of Former Legislators, agreed that the parties, including Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), failed to meet the requirement for continued existence in Nigeria.
But Obi, who left the ADC coalition to join the NDC, incidentally, based on what he explained resulted from the multiple court cases hanging on its neck, expressed his disenchantment, in a statement by the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), on Monday.
Signed by Ibrahim Umar, its spokesman, the group quoted the former Governor of Anambra State as decrying the growing damage to the nation’s sacred institutions on the altar of politics.
Stressing that the rise of nations depended on stronger institutions devoid of political influences, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, wrote on his X platform: “When the controversy surrounding the removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, unfolded, I expressed a concern to a friend: that the greatest damage might not be immediate, but the message it sends about the sanctity and independence of our institutions to the world.
“Strong economies are built on trust. Investors can manage security risks, policy risks, and even market risks. What they fear most is uncertainty in the rule of law and a judiciary that is perceived to be vulnerable to political pressure.
“Today, many Nigerians have lost confidence in systems that should protect them. Businesses increasingly request that their contracts be governed by foreign jurisdictions because they have greater confidence in those institutions than in our own. That should concern every patriot.
“We must never sacrifice our sacred institutions on the altar of politics. Nations rise when institutions are stronger than individuals. The Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and other political parties is just one of those activities that further reduces the common man’s trust in our legal systems. It should be reversed.
“I pledge that we will restore the dignity, independence, and integrity of the judiciary. The common man must have a voice. The business community must be protected from legal uncertainty and intimidation. Justice must be impartial, accessible, and respected by all. To our judges, legal luminaries, senior advocates, and lawyers: this is your moment. Rise, defend the rule of law, take back your country! A new Nigeria is POssible.”
Not even Lamine Yamal’s second half introduction could help Spain break through the defence of debutants, Cape Verde, in their first ever meeting, as the ongoing World Cup event produced another one of the stunning results on Monday.
Yamal, the Barcelona superstar just recovering from a near two-month hamstring injury, was brought into the game in the second half to zest up the one-time world champion, but failed to break down the Cape Verde’s dogged defence.
Spain’s in the game played in Atlanta, one of the cities hosting the three-nation Mundial, displayed the same dismal outing, which saw them offering far less than the quality, which saw them lifting the trophy for the first time in 2010.
The European champions, which have not won a knockout game ever since, failed to dominate the African side, replicating their less than impressing outings and their eventual exit in 2018 and 2022 editions, even with the claims of coach Luis de la Fuente that the squad was the best in the competition, Spain were considered among the pre-tournament.
Neither Yamal nor Nico Williams, who also was hit by an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao and was not introduced until the 87th minute, were able to rise to the occasion against the 500,000 people African side, ranked 67 in the world, which is making their debut on the global stage.
In stark contrast to the searing temperatures faced by some other sides, Atlanta’s state-of-the-art air conditioned stadium meant there was no excuses for the slow tempo of Spain’s build-up.
Indeed the mid-half hydration break was met by boos with fans frustrated at the break in play despite the cool conditions.
The only serious move from the European champions only came at the sixth minute to half-time, when Marc Cucurella, fresh for sealing his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, sent over a teasing cross that Ferran Torres turned onto the crossbar and Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha got back on his feet to turn Mikel Oyarzabal’s looping header over the bar.
Even after the break, the Blue Sharks, were also able to hold back from the onslaught as they did in the first half, where Vozinho, managed to make another superlative save against Aymeric Laporte’s header just before half-time.
Despite the excitement from the crowd after he was introduced, Yamal, billed as one of the stars of the tournament, failed to create any magic with his first touch being the set-up of a decent opening for fellow substitute Mikel Merino which was too close to Vozinha.
In fact, Cabo Verde billed to take on Uruguay in Miami, nearly snatched a famous victory in the final minute of the 90 when Dani Borges planted a header too close to Unai Simon, who saved the occasion, to prevent the former world champions, billed to face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday from humiliation.
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