Oyinlola is a liar - Wole Soyinka

The controversy surrounding the status and ownership of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding deepened on Friday as the Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, described former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as a liar.

Watch And Pray, Watch And Prey By Wole Soyinka

Reacting to some issues raised by Oyinlola on Thursday when he addressed a press conference in his town, Okuku, Osun State, Soyinka , on Friday, gave the former governor a one-week ultimatum to retract his statement.

According to him, Oyinlola lied against him when he said he opposed the establishment of the centre in 2008 and that he (the dramatist) discussed the matter with the late President, Umaru Yar’Adua.

Soyinka said in a statement he tagged ‘Prince Oyinlola in the Republic of Liars’, “How does one begin to slash through this thickening tissue of lies? Prince Oyinlola must be put to the strictest proof to substantiate several outrageous claims in his recent press statement. Failing to do so within one week from today will result in his taking his well-earned place in company of the current inmates of ‘The Republic of Liars’ – next in my series of ‘Interventions’, a public service series published by Bookcraft, due out in the next month.”

He described the allegation that he opposed the establishment of the centre as an exercise in “mind-blowing impudence.”

He added that it was also a lie that he (Soyinka) discussed the matter with former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Instead, he said, it was Oyinlola who wrote a letter to Jonathan requesting him to “call Wole Soyinka to       order.”

Besides, the celebrated writer noted that he was not the one that instituted or initiated the law suit on the status of the centre.

“On the other hand, I did oppose, and most strenuously, the conspiracy by some parties to transfer the Ulli Beier archives to the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, situated in Abeokuta, even though paid for with the funds of Osun State. I opposed the recognition of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library as an affiliate of UNESCO in any category, since that library is a product of fraud, extortion and corrupt diversion of a nation’s resources.

“In this context, I collaborated with the late Gani Fawehinmi and Femi Falana. Action was taken in the same spirit as has continued to animate a number of civic organisations on the continent to prevent international image laundering by African leaders of questionable character, after losing credibility in governance. This has included higher institutions of learning and culture where millions were offered to endow chairs in their name.”

On Thursday, Oyinlola stressed that his permanent chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the CBCIU was the condition given by the late Ullie Beire for giving his archives to the centre.

According to him, the condition was approved by the UNESCO and other stakeholders, including the Federal Government.

Oyinlola presented relevant documents and a court ruling in this regard.

But Soyinka, who was appointed the chairman of the board by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, insisted that such a clause and the fact that the centre was incorporated at the Corporate Affairs Commission were an anomaly.

As the controversy rages, stakeholders believe the Aregbesola administration has a duty to make its position known on the matter.

It has, however, yet to do so, as efforts made to get its reaction were not fruitful on Friday night.

But reacting to Soyinka’s ultimatum and allegations on Friday, Oyinlola denied lying against Soyinka.

Oyinlola said in a statement, “Soyinka should put his own (Soyinka’s) name on top of his list of liars now that he is writing his Republic of Liars. Liars hardly acknowledge truth when they see it.”

Oyinlola is a liar - Wole Soyinka

I don"t deserve several embarrassment from Soyinka - Oyinlola laments

Former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State has said that the recent criticism of him by the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, over the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo, was borne out of an alleged friction between him ( Soyinka) and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Oyinlola

There has been heated argument as both Soyinka and Oyinlola have laid claim to the chairmanship of separate boards for the UNESCO-approved centre.

While documents of the agreement that established the centre make Oyinlola the permanent chairman of the board, the Rauf Aregbesola administration had established another board and chose Soyinka its chairman, upon succeeding Oyinlola.

But apart from the fact that the matter has been a subject of litigation, Soyinka, last week, accused Oyinlola of illegally carrying on as the board chairman.

At a press conference held in Oyinlola’s home town, Okuku, the former governor said, “Why all these attacks on my person? I have asked myself repeatedly. Could it be a case of transferred aggression? If he has any problem with his brother, elder statesman, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, why transfering the aggression to me? I have never done anything in the past to warrant what I have been getting from Soyinka.

“Does Soyinka know that an elder in Yorubaland operates within certain ethical boundaries? Does he know that elders must never be seen playing the hen otherwise foul smell will be their companion?”

Oyinlola, who is one of the political associates of the former President, said the CBCIU was a joint property of the UNESCO, the Federal Government, Osun State and the late Ullie Beier, whose works form the bulk of the items kept at the centre.

He presented the documents and said they were available for Soyinka to view.

Oyinlola noted that Aregbesola, who appointed Soyinka as the board chairman, had eventually discovered the true status of the centre, and had even initiated a process to reconcile him and Soyinka.

But he added that the former governor said the Nobel laureate had rebuffed all efforts he made to have a meeting with him.

He said, “Because I believe, to the best of my knowledge, that there is no personal animosity between me and Professor Soyinka, I have, in consultation with my governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made some moves

to meet the professor to give him the correct information on the centre for him to be properly guided. All the moves have, sadly, been rebuffed.

“I paid a visit to his house in Lagos on the advice of the governor. He was not at home and never acknowledged the visit. I made several phone calls to him which were never answered. I tried reaching him unsuccessfully through his daughter, Mrs. Moremi Onijala. The last was an intervention organised between us by Aregbesola for Senator Sola Adeyeye to broker peace.

“The senator met with me and promised to meet Soyinka and get back to me. I was waiting for the feedback when I read Soyinka, an elder statesman and a supposed culture icon attacking me once again.”

I don"t deserve several embarrassment from Soyinka - Oyinlola laments

Centre for Black Culture: Soyinka tells Buhari to caution Oyinloa

The controversy that surrounded the birth of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo, Osun State, in 2008 erupted again on Tuesday when the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, accused former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of perpetuating himself as the chairman of the centre’s board of trustees.

Watch And Pray, Watch And Prey By Wole Soyinka

He, thus, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to caution him in the spirit of the President’s anti-corruption stance.

The process of establishing the centre in 2008 was marked by accusation and counter-accusation between Soyinka and Oyinlola, as the renowned dramatist had vehemently opposed an alleged plot to locate the centre at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta. He claimed that the former President was using federal might to achieve this.

But while the main centre was eventually located in Osogbo, with a unit in the latter, trouble erupted again when the Rauf Aregbesola government came to power in 2011, as Oyinlola wanted to continue as the board chairman, based on a clause in the original law that established the CBIU.

The argument simmered in 2012 when the state House of Assembly amended the law to stop the permanent chairmanship.

Aregbesola had subsequently appointed Soyinka as the centre’s chairman.

But apart from legal issues that later arose, trouble reared its head again with a planned international conference set to hold at the centre.

At a press conference themed, ‘CBCIU: for Culture or Penkelemeesi?’, held at the Freedom Park on Tuesday, Soyinka warned Oyinlola against presenting himself as the chairman.

Noting that he had reported the development to UNESCO authorities, he said it was unethical for any office holder to claim perpetual ownership or leadership of any institution built with public funds.

According to him, the amendment made to the law establishing the centre, as carried out by the Osun lawmakers, remains valid as no court of law has nullified it.

He suggested that even if there were still some legal intricacies surrounding the development, ethics demanded that it be subjected to public debate.

Soyinka said, “My immediate contribution to that debate shall be phrased along the same terms as I addressed Madame Bokova in Kazakhstan (of UNESCO). Only that, this time, it is addressed to this nation’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, who has unusually elevated the anti-corruption struggle to the very top of his governance agenda. I must warn President Buhari – in the absence of a foreign minister – that the nation is being dragged into a sleazy situation through the attempted co-option of its foreign missions into logistical support for their global enterprises.

But while our correspondent’s efforts to reach Oyinlola proved abortive on Tuesday, one of his former aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ‘attacks ‘ against the former governor were unwarranted.

The source said, “We view this as a continuation of Prof. Soyinka’s failed 2008 campaign to frustrate the approval of the centre by UNESCO. But on this renewed attack, we will react appropriately at the appropriate time.”

Efforts to also speak with Aregbesola or the commissioner for culture in the state also proved abortive.

But an official who also spoke on condition of anonymity noted that although the matter appeared complicated, it would be resolved in a way that it would not affect the significance and smooth operation of the centre.

The source said, “Both Prof. Soyinka and Prince Oyinlola are dear to us. So, the matter will be resolved in the best interest of the people and cultural development of the state, Nigeria and Africa in general.”

Centre for Black Culture: Soyinka tells Buhari to caution Oyinloa

Saraki, Oyinlola, others in closed-door meeting with Obasanjo

Senate President Bukola Saraki is in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, holding a closed-door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Also in the entourage of the Senate President on the early Friday visit are Senators Andy Uba, Danjuma Goje, Ahmed Yerima, Tayo Alasoadura and a former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party and former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

They arrived at Obasanjo’s Hilltop Mansion, Abeokuta, at about 9.10am in about seven Sports Utility Vehicles.

The senators and other All Progressives Congress chiefs proceeded into the inner chamber of former President’s home as soon as they alighted from their vehicles.

It is yet unclear why the politicians have come to see Obasanjo.

Details later…

Saraki, Oyinlola, others in closed-door meeting with Obasanjo

Oyinlola’s lawyer loses practising licence over election case

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee has expelled a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Kunle Kalejaye, from further practising as a lawyer.

Oyinlola

The LPDC disbarred Kalejaye after finding him guilty of professional misconduct. A five-man panel of the LPDC, led by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, conducted the investigation.

The LPDC found Kalejaye guilty of misconduct while representing the Peoples Democratic Party and its then candidate, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, where Oyinlola’s victory in the 2007 poll was being challenged by the then candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

Kalejaye was said to have engaged in a “confidential, private and confidential telephone conversation” with the Chairman of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Thomas Naron, without the knowledge of the other party.

He allegedly engaged in the unprofessional act between March and June 2008 and the Justice Naron with whom he committed the misconduct had since February 20, 2013 been compulsorily retired by the National Judicial Council.

The Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ekiti Division, Justice Paul Galinje, who read the directive (judgment of the LPDC), held that the prosecution, the Nigerian Bar Association, proved its three count complaints against Kalejaye.

The NBA was represented by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN).

He held that Kalejaiye violated the provisions of sections 1, 15, 30, 31, 34 and 55 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2007).

The panel directed the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to delete his name from the roll (list) of legal practitioners in the country.

The committee also directed that its decision should be served on the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chief Judges of all the states of the federation, the Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the Inspector General of Police and all the states’ Commissioners of Police.

It also directed that the decision be published in the media.

Kalejaiye’s lawyer, Niyi Owolade, a former Attorney General of Osun State, had objected to the LPDC’s decision.

He said his client was about filing his appeal at the Supreme Court.

Under the Legal Practitioners Act, Kalejaiye has up to 28 days to appeal the decision, failing which it will become effective.

Kalejaiye represented the PDP and Oyinlola at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which heard the petition by the ACN and its candidate in the 2007 governorship election, Aregbesola.

The LPDC rejected Kalejaiye’s defence to the effect that his telephone number was cloned.

The committee held that while Kalejaye was able to show, by expert evidence, that spoofing as a general phenomenon was possible, he failed to show that spoofing was possible on the MTN network which owned the lines with which Kalejaiye and Naron communicated.

He was said to have only demonstrated such possibility with Etisalat and Glo networks.

The committee also faulted Kalejaiye’s documentary evidence, mostly newspaper publications (including advertorial sponsored by Kalejaiye), faulting the authenticity of the call log from MTN.

The committee said it would have been more helpful had Kalejaiye applied and got his call log from MTN to prove that the one tendered by the prosecution was not the actual one.

Oyinlola’s lawyer loses practising licence over election case

Stop calling me your brother, Oyinlola tells Oyedokun

A former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has said that contrary to efforts by a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, to call him his brother, there was no truth in such claim.

Oyinlola alleged that Oyedokun joined others to assault him when he was removed as the PDP National Secretary.

A statement made available to Saturday PUNCH on Friday by the former governor warned that Oyedokun should stop muddling issues and putting him in bad light whenever he discussed him in the media.

While reacting to an interview granted by the former PDP leader where he accused him of “polluting the drinking water” of the PDP in Osun State among other allegations, Oyinlola said all his brotherly gestures to Oyedokun were never reciprocated with goodness.

He said, “I read Oyedokun’s interview where he described himself as my brother who laid down all he had for me to achieve all I achieved in politics. I need to explain his kind of brother. Since my joining politics in December 2001, every challenge and opposition to whatever aspiration I had throughout my stay in the PDP had the fingerprints of this my elder brother.

“It is on record that my emergence as governor in 2003 was with strong opposition from him, using his powers then as the Deputy National Chairman of the party. Again, in the run-up to my second term bid in 2007, he defected to the then Action Congress (now All Progressives Congress). More than a year after I brought him back into the PDP, my brotherly gestures never received reciprocal goodness from him.”

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Stop calling me your brother, Oyinlola tells Oyedokun

Oyinlola, wife lose at polling units

A former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and his wife, lost to the rival political party, the PDP at their polling units in Okuku.

Oyinlola, who recently defected to the APC voted at Ward One, Unit Three.

The result at the ward indicated that the PDP scored 125 while the APC got 61.

At 008 where his wife voted, the PDP got 105 while the APC garnered 41.

Some of the supporters of the former governor who spoke with our correspondent, said his supporters in the PDP had “been settled by the PDP. So, we couldn’t defect with him.”

One of them, who spoke with our correspondent at Okuku, said “we kept on asking whether we should defect to the APC.

“But he was assuring us that we should remain in PDP. But by the time he was going to defect, we have been settled by the PDP, so we couldn’t defect.”

When our correspondent visited his house, his aides said the former governor just returned and that he had left instruction that he should not be disturbed.

“He told us that he was attending a meeting  and that he should not be disturbed,” the security aide said.

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Oyinlola, wife lose at polling units

PDP Crisis: More confusion about Oyinlola"s faith

Barely five months after the reinstatement of its sacked National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, there is still confusion in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

PDP tear apart and APC Smiles behind

President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, are said to be in favour of the party obeying the court order.

But some leaders of the party and the Ogun State Executive Committee of PDP are opposed to it.

The dilemma forced the PDP National Chairman to meet with Oyinlola behind closed doors last Thursday.

It was, however, gathered that the leadership of the party sees the solution in prevailing on the Ogun State Executive Committee of PDP to withdraw its pending appeal at the Supreme Court to address the Oyinlola challenge facing the party.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja in November, last year, reinstated Oyinlola as the National Secretary of the PDP.

The three-man panel, chaired by Justice Amiru Sanusi, upturned the January 11 judgment of Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which sacked Oyinlola.

Justice Kafarati said Oyinlola’s nomination and election as the National Secretary were invalid.

Sources told The Nation that attempts by the party to comply with the judgment of the Court of Appeal were resisted by former National Chairman Bamanga Tukur who wanted the case to run its full course.

There are fears that the stalemate might affect the party’s preparations for the 2015 poll if it is not addressed.

It was learnt that if the Supreme Court does not consider the appeal of some leaders of Ogun State Executive Committee of PDP, the party might run into trouble as all actions taken by the incumbent National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, would be illegal.

Some of the critical issues, which may be affected, are:

•All decisions taken by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Working Committee (NWC) since Oyinlola was removed from office;

•Emergence of Muazu at a NEC meeting might be invalid because Oladipo summoned the meeting. Unless a mini-national conference is held to rectify the constitutional breach, Muazu may be a victim of this power play;

•Nomination forms of all PDP candidates for 2014 and 2015 elections signed by the incumbent National Secretary would be invalid since he is no longer the substantive occupant of the office; and

•PDP may be seen as disrespectful of the Judiciary.

A top source said: “We are worried about the overall implications of not respecting the judgment of the Court of Appeal because anything done by the present National Secretary is so far illegal.

“There is confusion on Oyinlola’s fate. Some leaders have alleged that since he was one of those who formed the short-lived New PDP, we should not reinstate him.

“The fact is that some of those who formed the nPDP, including governors, have returned to the party. A court had also declared the nPDP as illegal because there was no crisis in PDP to warrant such factionlisation.

“Our concern is about the importance of the National Secretary to our preparations for 2015. We cannot build something on nothing. This is why we are pleading with our leaders to allow wise counsel to guide our decision.

“Some of our leaders are saying that we should rectify any constitutional lapse on Muazu’s emergence at a mini-National Convention in May. The biggest problem is the Office of the National Secretary. Legally, Oyinlola is the National Secretary but in terms of political expediency, it is Prof. Oladipo.”

A source in the NWC said: “The last time we discussed Oyinlola’s matter was during the tenure of Bamanga Tukur. We could not go far because he had a particular disposition to it.

“The new PDP National Chairman is addressing this challenge, but he has not tabled it before the NWC.

“I knew Oyinlola was around last Thursday and Muazu had some discussions with the reinstated National Secretary.

“Everyone in the NWC is hoping that Muazu would find a solution to this issue.”

Another source in the party said: “From the look of things, President Goodluck Jonathan and Muazu are disposed to deference to the order of the Court of Appeal to reinstate Oyinlola.

“The party leadership is only trying to manage the situation on how to prevail on PDP leaders from Ogun State, who went to the Supreme Court, to withdraw their case.

“As it is now, Oyinlola has no case before the apex court, it is those PDP leaders who should be magnanimous to put the past behind them since the Court of Appeal had given a verdict.”

PDP Crisis: More confusion about Oyinlola"s faith

Muazu, Oyinlola in Secret Meeting

In a move to try to resolve the crisis that has rocked the Peoples Democratic Party at the national and regional levels, the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, on Thursday met with the suspended national secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, behind closed doors. It was the second time Mauzu and Oyinlola would be meeting since January, when Muazu replaced Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as PDP chairman.

MUAZU

The meeting took place about 8pm at PDP’s alternate office, Legacy House, Maitama, in Abuja, and had in attendance some members of the party’s National Working Committee.

THISDAY gathered that the meeting was part of efforts to achieve a final resolution of the crisis rocking the party before its midterm national convention billed to hold in the last week of May. The planned national convention is not an elective convention, but it would be used to pass a vote of confidence on the NWC and ratify Muazu’s selection as national chairman. He was chosen by the National Executive Committee of the party on January 20.

It was also gathered that the ongoing zonal rallies of the PDP would be rounded off with the midterm convention.

According to a source that spoke with THISDAY, “It is after the PDP midterm national convention that President Goodluck Jonathan will officially declare to contest for the 2015 presidential election. The rallies at the zones and the mid-convention are being used to sensitise the people for the eventual declaration of the president for the presidential election.”

Ahead of the president’s declaration, the party is believed to be making frantic moves to reconcile aggrieved members, including five of its governors, who defected to All Progressives Congress last year. The meeting with the former governor of Osun State and the ex-speaker was, apparently, meant to persuade them and other stakeholders in the South-west to return to the party and fully participate in its affairs at all levels in the march towards next year’s general elections.

The source, who was at the meeting, said, “The mood of the former Osun State governor was not that of someone insisting on becoming the national secretary. Yes, his appeal is pending at the Supreme Court, but his body language at the meeting did not seem to support the return to office as the national secretary. He is a friend of the national chairman and he is using that advantage to appeal to him to let go in the spirit of national reconciliation.”

PDP may be planning a safe landing for the suspended national secretary if he agrees to forego the office and withdraw his appeal at the Supreme Court. Oyinlola’s court-ordered removal last year was widely believed to be part of an onslaught against loyalists of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The source said, “Many things have happened since the suspension of Oyinlola as the national secretary. The spirit of things now is reconciliation, which is give and take. Professor Oladipo Olawale has been appointed as his replacement and it is expected that he would be ratified at the midterm national convention as the substantive national secretary of the party.

“What we are looking at now is for Oyinlola to accept to withdraw his suit at the Supreme Court and other things will follow.”

Oyinlola is alleged to be showing a favourable disposition towards the PDP olive branch.

On Obasanjo’s alleged insistence on the reinstatement of Oyinlola as a condition for reconciliation, the source said, “If Oyinlola eventually agrees that he is withdrawing his suit from the Supreme Court, then the matter is over. Will Baba force the Prince to become the national secretary when he says he is no longer interested? This is all politics and everyone will be taken care of at the end of the day.”

Oyinlola and Bode Mustapha, also an Obasanjo loyalist and former PDP national auditor, are currently at the Supreme Court challenging their removal by the NWC. The Court of Appeal had on November 6 last year reinstated Oyinlola as the national secretary but the party refused to obey the order.

Mustapha is challenging the NWC and the recognition of Adewale Adeyanju as the national auditor. He sees such recognition as a contravention of a stay of execution on his removal granted by the Court of Appeal. (0)

Muazu, Oyinlola in Secret Meeting