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Again, Fayose Makes Scathing Remarks Against Obasanjo Hours After Former President Attended His Birthday

Published

7 months ago

November 18, 2025

Eric

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday renewed their old enmity, with Fayose raining insults on the 89-year-old ex-president, whom he declared “belongs in the zoo”.

The feud between the duo dates back to the beginning of the Fourth Republic, when Obasanjo was president and Fayose was governor in Ekiti State.

Obasanjo had sent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after Fayose over a poultry project embarked upon by Fayose, which Obasanjo declared was fraught with corruption.

The relationship between them has been frosty over the years, with Fayose seizing any chance to lash out at Obasanjo, alleging his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Ogun State is a product of corruption.

Fayose repeatedly demanded that Obasanjo return his N10m contribution to the building of the library.

However, in a dramatic twist, ahead of his 65th birthday last week, Fayose had visited Obasanjo in his Ogun home and invited the ex-president to the birthday.

At the birthday party in Lagos, however, Obasanjo, who was the Special Guest of Honour, recounted how Fayose had abused him severally in the past without batting an eyelid.

He explained that despite asking for forgiveness from him several times, Fayose would still go ahead to abuse him in a display of arrogance.

The former President said he was surprised that Fayose would be bold enough to invite him to the birthday.

Addressing the gathering, Obasanjo said, ”Some people called me and said that we heard that you are going to attend Fayose’s 65th birthday, have you forgotten how he abused you? But I said that they should not worry, irrespective of his character, he remains one of my children. The Yoruba will say ‘Won kii le omo buburu f’ekun paje’, meaning that you won’t say your child is bad and offer him to a tiger to devour.

“But you are not the best of my political children, you’re not, but you have made achievements that must not be ignored.”

Obasanjo said, haunted by his past acts, Fayose could not, at first, directly approach him to invite him to his birthday, but instead sent a former minister, Osita Chidoka, “to come and sound me out.”

“You could not come to me directly because you knew that you had not done so well by me,” Obasanjo said, “‘Bi iwo ba se rere, ara ki o a ya o’. So, I told Osita to tell you that he had delivered the message you sent him to me. You later phoned me and I said that you could come to see me at any time.

“Even at that, you could not come directly to knock at my door; you took precautions, you sent Foluso ahead of you, who came before you, to gauge my feelings and pulse, after which you arrived about an hour later.

“When you came to me, you called your wife, and while on the phone with your wife, I said that the two of you have not done well. Mo ni eyin meejeji kii s’omoluwabi; and your wife completely disarmed me.

“She said, ‘Yes, Baba, you are right, please forgive us,’ and what else can I do? You have asked for forgiveness, and I have forgiven you, but the right lesson must be learned.”

Obasanjo then launched into his past relationship and feud with Fayose.

Quoting Romans 12 vs 15, Obasanjo said the Bible enjoins Christians to “mourn with those who are mourning, while we should also rejoice with those rejoicing.”

He said, “Like I said, that we are here to thank God for his mercy and faithfulness, you must always understand that you’re who you are and where you are by the special grace of God, and so you must always give praise to him.

“I also said that we are here for stock taking, part of what you yourself have said. I knew you, and I was with you because of the initiative you took to give water to the people of Ekiti State at that time; you will remember this vividly. It was this initiative that set you apart and made me fall in love with you.

“I didn’t know you from anywhere before that time; it was S. K. Babalola that I knew and was going to support for the 2003 governorship because of his track record with the Nigerian Union of Teachers.

“However, I later pitched a tent with you and dumped Babalola, who, in any case, was also not a member of our party, PDP, then. You remember that we were at Efon Alaye to campaign, and one of their challenges there was erosion, which we promised to fix, and we fulfilled our promise.

“Ayo, there is a difference between being courageous, being bold and being foolhardy. Courage, boldness and foolhardiness do not go together.

“There is also the virtue of humility, which goes with humility. Humility is one of the virtues that mark out our character in Nigeria, particularly the people of Yoruba land. Integrity is also another virtue. We had a campaign and, by the grace of God, you won the election.

“And when you won, you wanted to do a lot of good things. One of those things was to help the farmers. When you came to me, I said that if you wanted to help the farmers, one of the things you could do is to either subsidise the chicks or the feeds and not that, as a government, you will say you are establishing a poultry farm.

“I said that Gomboro could come, and within the time the memo to buy this and that was still going from the table of one government official to another, the disease would have cleared all the chicks. And you will remember this story, I came to your farm and I saw the chicks that were about two weeks old with their shavings very neat and asked, ‘Ayo, se awon adiye tiyin ki yagbe ni’ (Don’t your own type of chicks excrete?).

“And your brother, Oyinlola, the then governor of Osun State, was telling you right there, ‘I told you that if he (Obasanjo) doesn’t know anything, he knows about poultry’.

“You also remember that, before this issue about poultry, some came to say that you did not go to Olivet Baptist School, Oyo, but I knew that you went to the school and finished there. We can see those who were your mates and those who were your seniors, so that is unlike some people, who we really don’t know the school that they attended.

“If you remember, you and your wife came to me at Oyinlola’s house and begged for forgiveness for all that you had said to me, and I said that I had forgiven you, but you never stopped. You also came to my house and apologised. I said that I had forgiven you, but you still didn’t stop.

“Ayo, I did not ask you to contribute to my library, or did I? The governors decided, and you joined them. I never begged you for money for anything except when you came last week, on Tuesday.

“I told you that since you will make me abort my trip from Kigali, Rwanda and come back on Saturday when I was supposed to be back on Sunday, you would be the one to pay for that because I can’t be using my retirement money for such.

“But if it will be of interest to you, it was Alhaji Aliko Dangote who sent the plane that brought me back to the country. So, the money you sent through Foluso is still with me. I have kept everything intact.

“Obviously, part of why you have called me to this occasion is to make things right with those whom you might have offended. I also want to urge you to still think about those people you have offended and call them for a truce. Forgiveness and repentance are quite important.

“You must repent from all misconduct because we must begin to prepare for heaven, because no one will escape the judgment of God. Please join me in singing this song, ‘Ope mi ko i to, ojojumo ni o ma dupe…’”

Clearly angered by Obasanjo’s remarks, Fayose, on Monday, sent the ex-president a “Thank You” text message, filled with insults.

The Punch

Featured

Four Nigerian Startups Make Bloomberg’s Global Watchlist

Published

17 minutes ago

June 15, 2026

Eric

By Anjorin Fehintola Stella

Bloomberg has named four Nigerian startups among its 25 African companies to watch in 2026. A list published yesterday that signals not just Nigeria’s growing innovation strength, but a decisive shift in how Africa’s startup ecosystem is being financed.

Nigeria tied with South Africa and Kenya as the most represented nations on the list, with four companies each. The selection spans 13 African countries and covers sectors including healthcare, fintech, defence technology, security, climate resilience, and transport, a reflection of a continent building solutions for its own most urgent problems.

The most dramatic story among the four Nigerian entries belongs to Terra Industries. Founded in 2024 by two young Nigerian engineers, Nathan Nwachuku, 22, and Maxwell Maduka, 24, the Abuja based company develops pilotless aircraft and autonomous defence systems designed to protect African nations from growing security threats. In just over a year, Terra Industries has raised a total of $34 million, including backing from 8VC, the venture firm co-founded by Palantir Technologies, Joe Lonsdale. The company currently protects critical infrastructure including power plants and mining operations in Nigeria and Ghana, and has announced plans for a second factory in Ghana.

Also on the list is 10mg Health, founded in 2022 by pharmacist Christian Nwachukwu. The startup is tackling one of the most stubborn bottlenecks in Nigeria’s healthcare system, the requirement for upfront payment before treatment. By making healthcare financing accessible at the point of care, 10mg Health is addressing a gap that has long kept quality medical attention out of reach for millions of Nigerians.

Sycamore brings a fintech angle, focusing on digital onboarding and rapid loan disbursement to reach Nigerians in credit markets where traditional banking penetration remains limited. The company is already expanding beyond Nigeria, with international operations now targeting Africans in the diaspora, including in the United Kingdom.

The bigger story running through this year’s Bloomberg list is the funding shift. Nearly half of the capital raised by featured companies came from African investors rather than foreign sources, a marked departure from previous years when the ecosystem relied heavily on overseas venture capital. African startups almost doubled their debt fundraising in 2025, even as equity investment from international VC firms declined sharply. The global artificial intelligence boom has pulled significant venture capital toward the United States, with AI-related investment doubling to $259 billion globally last year, three-quarters of it flowing to American companies. That pressure has forced African founders to look closer to home, to development finance institutions, pension funds, local VCs, and debt providers.

For Nigeria specifically, startups collectively raised $176 million in the first half of 2025. While below peak funding years, the figure keeps Nigeria firmly among Africa’s top four startup destinations alongside South Africa, Egypt and Kenya.

Bloomberg’s recognition of four Nigerian companies is more than a ranking. It is a signal that Nigeria’s founders are building for real, systemic impact rather than chasing convenience driven applications. From defending borders to financing hospital visits, these companies are confronting the gaps that government and traditional institutions have left open and the world is paying attention.

Featured

Tinubu Honours More June 12 ‘Heroes’ in 2026 Democracy Day Address

Published

4 hours ago

June 15, 2026

Eric

Fellow Nigerians

Today, we celebrate democracy and the enduring Nigerian spirit.

For 27 unbroken years, since May 29, 1999, Nigerians have chosen their leaders through the ballot, witnessed peaceful transitions of power, and resolved disagreements in courtrooms and legislative chambers—not through violence. We have experienced the longest stretch of civilian rule in our history. Our democracy is not perfect, but it is ours, and we must continue to defend and strengthen it.

In the coming days, Ekiti and Osun states will hold elections. I urge INEC, security agencies, and all parties to ensure these polls are peaceful and credible. Democracy fails when citizens doubt the process. To our National Assembly, Judiciary, the Press, and Civil Society: you are the guardrails of our republic. Criticise me, disagree with me, but never stop believing in Nigeria.

To our young people: Nigeria is your home and your future. Build here, code here, work here, and vote here. Every great nation was built by those who stayed to solve problems, not by those who abandoned ship.

To our armed forces, police, and intelligence services: Nigeria salutes your sacrifice. To our traditional rulers, faith leaders, and community heads: thank you for your support of peace and reconciliation. The government cannot do it alone.

Today, we honour the resilience of Nigerians who refused to surrender their faith in freedom, and the courage of those who stood firm against intimidation. We pay tribute to patriots who endured persecution, imprisonment, exile, and even death so that future generations could enjoy democracy. I salute labour leaders, journalists, activists, students, women, professionals, political leaders, and soldiers—both those who have passed and those still with us—for their patriotic contributions.

Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is not solid enough. That is why this administration declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits. Our 2026 budget commits N5.41 trillion—our largest ever—to defence and security. Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people.

We have moved from training with our allies, the United States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting. In Arege, Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre. Terror-related deaths are down by 81% since 2015. Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year. But we also keep the door of surrender open. Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor.

To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State. These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.

At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history. We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation.

June 12 occupies a sacred place in our national memory. It represents more than an election; it is a defining chapter in our story. We remember Chief M.K.O. Abiola, who won a pan-Nigerian mandate transcending ethnicity and religion. We remember Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

We also remember Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Alfred Rewane, Pa Abraham Adesanya, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Frank Kokori, Arthur Nwankwo, Chima Ubani, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and the many other heroes and heroines of democracy whose sacrifices helped secure the freedoms we enjoy today.

As beneficiaries of their struggle, we have a duty to strengthen and deepen the democratic institutions for which they fought. The greatest tribute we can pay is to build a Nigeria where freedom is protected, justice is upheld, opportunity is expanded, and government is accountable.

June 12, 1993, revealed the possibility of a true Nigerian nation. The heroes of June 12 secured political freedom. Our challenge is to secure economic freedom. Democracy must be felt in the quality of people’s lives—in opportunities for youth, in prosperous farmers, successful entrepreneurs, and the dignity of our workers.

The reforms we are undertaking were not chosen for ease, but for necessity. Three years ago, our public finances were under severe strain, investment was discouraged, and economic uncertainty threatened our future. We chose to act, embracing reforms to advance Nigeria’s economic freedom.

Since 2023, our reforms have restored stability and credibility to economic management. Federation revenues have risen, providing states and local governments with more resources for infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security. Fiscal transparency has improved, leakage has been reduced, and public funds are better directed to national priorities. Investor confidence has returned, with investments in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, technology, mining, transportation, and the creative industries growing.

Domestic refining capacity has increased, strengthening energy security and reducing our reliance on imported petroleum products.

By 2023, when we came on board, the electricity sector was characterised by chronic generation shortfalls, an unreliable gas supply, and transmission infrastructure so fragile that it could not evacuate available power. Distribution companies were burdened by massive losses and a metering deficit of over four million. Worst of all, the value chain was drowning in legacy debt. The result was a sector that generated less than the 13,500 Megawatts installed capacity, a sector that transmitted less than it generated, distributed less than it transmitted and collected revenue far below what it needed to sustain itself.

To address the problems besetting the sector, I signed the Electricity Act, which grants states authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power. The Presidential Power Sector Task Force is working hard to reduce the metering deficit. It has also been authorised to raise N4 trillion bond to settle verified legacy debts. The Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, has deployed off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets, and hospitals. Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian. We intend to deliver it.

Across the country, infrastructure projects are connecting producers to markets and creating opportunities for enterprise and employment. The National Agricultural Development Fund is deploying 10,000 tractors over five years. Over 1,000 SMEs have been certified for export. Non-oil exports grew by 21% last year.

Yet, many Nigerians still face economic hardship. We remain focused on reducing inflation, expanding food production, creating jobs, improving living standards, rebuilding confidence in our economy, and creating conditions for sustainable prosperity.

We are moving from uncertainty to stability. The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community, and every region. We believe that Democracy must be felt in the pocket.

Recognising that democracy is undermined when people do not feel its impact, my administration has sought financial autonomy for our 774 local councils. A fundamental challenge to our nation’s advancement has been ineffective local government administration. The insecurity we are addressing is partly due to the collapse of grassroots governance. The Renewed Hope Agenda is about ensuring that all Nigerians benefit from governance.

Every generation has a defining responsibility. The generation of our founding fathers secured independence—the generation of June 12 secured democracy. Our generation must secure prosperity.

Let us move forward together—rejecting division, cynicism, and despair; embracing unity, hope, and confidence. Let us build a Nigeria united by a common purpose, strengthened by diversity, where justice is accessible, liberty is secure, and opportunity is abundant.

Among the architects of modern democratic Nigeria, we honour General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua for his vision of national partnership. In recognition of his contributions, the Federal Government has approved the revitalisation and renaming of the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology.

I am also pleased to announce national awards to the following Nigerians, who suffered persecution, endured indignities, exile, incarceration, and, at times, solitary confinement, so that we have democracy today.

Barrister Ayoka Lawani
Tunde Fagbenle
Oladele Alake
Olatunji Bello
Louis Odion
Segun Babatope
Sam Omatseye
Sir Ademola Osinubi
Bola Bolawole
Lade Bonuola
Femi Kusa
Debo Adeniran
Chief Ayo Opadokun
Chief Ralph Obiora
Ose Osayande
Barrister Osa Director
Prof. Sylvester Odion-Akhaine
Dr Arthur Nwankwo (Posthumous)
Dr Osagie Obayuwana
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin
Barrister Titus Mann
Joe Igbokwe
Richard Akinnola
Ben Charles-Obi (Posthumous)
George Mbah
Dr Niran Malaolu
Major-General Ishola Williams (rtd)
Femi Aborisade
Jenkins Alumona
Gbemiga Ogunleye
Muyiwa Adekeye
Babajide Kolade-Otitoju
Ike Okonta

We also recognise the soldier-democrats of the June 12 struggle:
Major General MA Garba
Brigadier General Lawal Jaafaru Isa
Col Umar Farouk Ahmed;
Col Sambo Dasuki;
Col Lawan Gwadabe;
Brigadier Jonathan Ndam Temlong
Col Musa Shehu;
Major General Chris Eze;
Major General Harris Dzarma;
Col Isa Jibrin;
Maj. General Joseph Oshanupin;
Col Olusegun Oloruntoba, Olugbede of Gbede Kingdom)
Lieutenant Colonel Happy Kefas Bulus
Col J Okai;
Col Emmanuel Ndubueze;
Lt Col Yakubu Muazu
Brigadier Yahaya Abubakar, the Current Etsu Nupe, who is already the holder of the CFR title.

The honours list will be released in the next few days.

Fellow Nigerians, 27 years ago, many doubted democracy would survive here because of our diversity. Today, our diversity sustains our democracy. The road ahead is steep. But June 12 reminds us: Nigerians do not break. We bend, we bleed, but we do not break.

Let us renew our covenant: That the labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this land.

May God bless the heroes of our democracy. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God continue to bless us all.

Happy Democracy Day.

BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria

Featured

Sowore ‘Slumps’ Amid Police Teargas During Abuja Protest

Published

3 days ago

June 12, 2026

Eric

There was panic on Friday after human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, collapsed following a confrontation with the police during a Democracy Day protest at the Unity Fountain in Abuja.

Reports said that Sowore collapsed after police operatives moved to disperse protesters gathered to demonstrate against insecurity, economic hardship and bad governance.

The demonstrators were dispersed after security personnel fired teargas canisters at the protesters in an apparent attempt to break up the gathering.

Following the incident, Sowore has reportedly been taken to an undisclosed hospital for further examination and treatment.