Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State, says he was so angered by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s remarks at his 65th birthday celebration that he briefly felt like grabbing the microphone and striking him with it.
In a new interview, Fayose detailed the events leading up to the birthday ceremony in Lagos — an occasion he had hoped would mark a reconciliation with political adversaries, including Obasanjo.
According to Fayose, he spent the weeks before the event reaching out to people he had previously clashed with, urging them to “put the past behind us”. One of those he contacted was Obasanjo, whose number he obtained through a mutual friend, Osita. But the former governor insisted the call was not an apology, stressing that he had done nothing wrong.
“I never called to apologise. I did not offend him. He was the one who removed me from office. If anyone should apologise, it is Baba,” Fayose said.
He added that Obasanjo welcomed him warmly when he visited ahead of the ceremony and even assured him he would attend despite conflicting engagements in Rwanda. At Obasanjo’s request, Fayose said he arranged funds for the former president’s travel logistics, noting: “I changed $20,000 and gave it to him. How do you accept someone’s money and then go ahead to spite that person?”
Tension began, he said, when Obasanjo insisted on speaking last at the event— a slot originally meant for the vice-president. The former president then instructed the moderator to call the vice-president ahead of him, before asking that Fayose and his wife stand beside him throughout a speech that lasted “one hour, 14 minutes”.
Fayose said the speech was filled with subtle jabs, including Obasanjo’s comment that the ex-governor was “not the best” among his political protégés.
“How do you say such things to a man on his 65th birthday?” Fayose asked.
He admitted that the provocation reached a breaking point.
“I was enraged. I felt like taking the mic from Obasanjo’s hand and hitting it on his head. This is being sincere,” he said.
“But because of the vice-president’s presence, maturity — not age — and the love I have for myself, I kept my cool.”
Fayose said his reconciliation effort was made “in good conscience,” but Obasanjo’s conduct showed he was “not interested in peace”.
“If I knew this was how it would end, what do I need Obasanjo for? Am I contesting election? Do I need his validation? No,” he said.