PRESS STATEMENT
It is no longer news that the Government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, couldn’t be in any way exonorated from the assassination of the late Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Ajibola James Idowu Ige, SAN. Infact, immediately after their Political Associate and former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, took over from his Predecessor, Alhaji Lam Adeshina of Alliance for Democracy (AD), he entered “Nolle Prosequi”, which means, as Prosecutor, I don’t have interest in this case again. Which case? Assassination of Chief Bola Ige, a sitting Attorney General and Minister of Justice and not the killing of someone else’s goat or ram or cow we are talking about here.
The general belief was that Chief Bola Ige, SAN, was removed from circulation in 2001 to pave way for the Opposition Party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to have field day in rigging the 2003 general election. For the second in Command then, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who was the presidential candidate of the same party in 2023, to confirm this statement, 22 years after the gruesome murder took place, by saying during his World Press Conference yesterday that he persuaded his former boss and Commander in Chief of Armed forces of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who is now unofficial Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Labour Party (LP), against taking over Lagos State from Mr President and former Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The simple interpretation of this, is that PDP and LP are ever the same and they will continue to have working relationship against the interest of the electorates.
He has confirmed that 2003 general election was massively rigged to butress the earlier statement of our most outstanding Mentor in the Civil Societies, who doubles as African 1st Nobel Laurette, Prof Wole Soyinka, who described the PDP in December 2001 after the Bola Ige assassination as “Nest of Killers” because it’s difficult to perpetuate massive rigging on election day without violence and killing of members of the Opposition Party or Parties. Of course, Chief Bola Ige, SAN, had been made to take a final bow before the election day.
At my own level, as functional Southwest Youth Leader in the Party under the leadership of late Chief (Senator) Ayo Fasanmi and major youth Actor in Lagos State through the Tinubu for 2nd term Campaign Organisation, Independent Campaign Group (ICG), located at Aromire, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos State, during the 2003 electioneering campaign,
I knew very well how we fought it hard under the able leadership of former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retain only Lagos State out of the six Southwest States of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti, that were being controlled by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) Governors, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Aremo Segun Osoba, Alhaji Lam Adeshina, Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Adebayo Adefarati and Chief Niyi Adebayo, respectively.
There was no secret at all about how this epic battle was fought and its attendant and well deserved 2nd term victory of former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The reason why our dear Brother and good friend, Mr Akin Ekundayo, later authored a book titled “Tinubu: The last man standing” and it was publicly presented same year 2003 in Lagos State.
At this juncture, I must appreciate contributions of the notable individuals in the ICG, who worked collectively towards the success of this project, former Honourable Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola; Campaign Director-General, Mr Rahman Owokoniran, Director of Mobilization, Cardinal Odunbaku (a.k.a. Baba Eto), Director of Administration, Mr Niyi Idowu; Director of Finance, Honourable Sunday Adepoju; Media Guru, Mr Akintola Benson; Youth and Students’ Coordinator, Comrade Segun Mayegun; Comrade Wale Okunniyi, Comrade Kola Odepeju, Mr Koye Adejumo, Mr Dele Ogunsakin, Mr Lanre Opadoyin, Mr (now) Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Mr Fouad Oki, Alhaji Akeem Apatira and others.
We are here still sitting with our arms akimbo as Obasanjo and Atiku are fighting legal battle with Bola Tinubu and spiritual battle with Bola Ige. This is nothing but the real law of Kamal or retribution coming into play.
Comrade Awa Bamiji
Executive President
Bola Ige Centre for Justice
