A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Femi Fani-Kayode, has berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo for humiliating monarchs in Oyo State last week.
The former aviation minister knocked his former principal for ordering the monarchs to stand at an event to honour him (Obasanjo) and Governor Seyi Makinde.
A viral video shows Obasanjo berating the traditional rulers for not acknowledging his presence and that of the governor by being on their feet at the inauguration of Oyo-Iseyin Road on Friday.
Obasanjo’s action attracted public outrage, especially from people of Yoruba descent, who described his behaviour as disrespectful to the monarchs, the institution and Yoruba culture.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Fani-Kayode said, “I am deeply saddened and utterly mortified by the way in which former President Olusegun Obasanjo lambasted our revered traditional rulers in Oyo state and “ordered” them to “stand up” and “sit down” as if they were children.
“This is the same OBJ that, once upon a time, displayed his respect, humility and I daresay greatness by bowing, kneeling and prostrating before our monarchs, even when he was President, yet today he talks to them as if they are his garbage collectors and orders them to jump up and down like a molue driver talking to his beleaguered passengers and a motor park tout talking to a bunch of jobless and worthless underlings.
“Many think that the whole thing is some kind of joke but I do not. We must not take it lightly and the truth is that by doing what he did he has spat on all our faces.
“His words and behaviour are a desecration of our values and a grave insult to the Yoruba people and our traditional institutions.
“I am constrained to be gentle and restrained in my criticism of Baba OBJ on this and so many other issues because of the undying love, respect and reverence I have for him. This is all the more so given the fact that I proudly served in his Government.
“However his association with and support for Peter Obi in the last presidential election has diminished and demystified him in the eyes of most to such an extent that it has become pitiful and embarrassing. It is also indefensible.”
He said, “That the great OBJ is now a flaming Obidient is the 8th wonder of the world. It really makes no sense and it is simply mind-boggling.
“What we witnessed when OBJ insulted our traditional rulers in Oyo state yesterday was the Obi spirit which is now firmly embedded in him at work.
“First, he was at a gathering in Awka where the Yoruba race were labelled “political rascals” by some Igbo leaders without a response from him and now he has the guts and effrontery to tell our traditional rulers to jump up and down like yoyos and clowns?
“Baba, this is too much. Please respect yourself and stop embarrassing those of us that still have some affection and respect left for you.”
