THE FEUD BETWEEN LATE GEN. SANI ABACHA AND LATE ALHAJI QUASIM YAYI AKOREDE
By SOMI AJAYI
Late Alhaji Quasim Alaba Alawiye Yayi Akorede was the Chief Imam of Akure from 1979 to December, 2006.
1998. The “phantom coup” of December 1997 had just happened, and Gen. Oladipo Diya, the then Deputy Head of State and a Yoruba son, was at the center of it.
The government organised a film show in Abuja. Selected people were brought in to watch. Because it involved a Yoruba man, all the Kabiyesis and prominent Yoruba leaders were invited too, to “see for themselves” the level of their son’s involvement.
When it was Baba Yayi Akorede’s turn, he went with his entourage. The film was full of tricks and dramatisation. At the end, Baba stepped out. The press, local and international, had been waiting for him.
They threw questions at him. In broken English, Baba replied:
“If your pikin steal and somebody report am to you, is it not right for you to see the pikin first, ask am why he steal, before you beat am?”
The pressmen weren’t satisfied. “Say it in Yoruba, Baba.” He did.
That one sentence changed everything. Leaders who had come out earlier to condemn Diya and beg Abacha for mercy suddenly started queuing behind Baba. Nobody had framed it that way before.
Those who followed the event will remember. Many traditional rulers had already watched the film before Baba and left the cinema house condemning Diya openly. Rumour had it that “Ghana-must-go” bags were placed beside every seat. Only God knows what was inside them.
Baba had said his mind to the press. On behalf of other Yoruba leaders, he requested to see Diya so they could ask him questions directly. The request was denied. But Baba’s stand delayed the execution of Diya and others.
Before leaving Abuja for Akure, Baba warned his entourage, “Don’t pick anything they give you.” At dawn, they set out. To the shock of those who arranged the gifts, Baba’s team left the well-packaged “Ghana-must-go” bags behind and headed straight for Akure.
When they arrived, Governor Onyearugbulem was the first to welcome them. He asked why Baba left his “Ghana-must-go.” Maybe Baba was quarreling with the Head of State? Baba said no, “That gift was a bribe.”
The Governor then pleaded to give Baba another gift himself. Baba rejected it that day. “I would have taken it if there was no issue on ground.”
Abacha was reportedly angered by Baba’s action. It had set their plan back. Around that time, Onyearugbulem was rebuked, maybe because he couldn’t win Baba’s heart.
The grudge at the national level continued. There was even a security report that Baba would be attacked. Baba’s response? “No problem. Let them come. Only a bullet kills.”
As God would have it, the next day news broke: Abacha was dead. Yoruba say, “If you want to catch today, you’ll catch tomorrow.” – ta ba ni ka m’oni, ola laa mu.
That was how Diya was saved and returned from the valley of death.
SOMI AJAYI
(D’ Great Arisajay
Special thanks to Alhaji Layi Gidado for the info
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