Daily Independent Online.
*
Thursday, July 01, 2004.
The undercurrents at Afolabi’s
funeral
By Habib Aruna
Assistant
Political Editor, Osogbo
A
first time visitor to Osogbo, the Osun State capital, during last week’s
state burial organised for the late Chief Sunday Michael Afolabi, former
minister of internal affairs and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
will unmistakably get the message: the state has lost a great son and they want
to give him a befitting state burial.
The
banners with the inscription: “Good Night, A great Leader; The Asiwaju of
Iree Land” were conspicuous at every major junction of a state widely
known as the State of Living Spring. Besides, the banners adorned the various
streets and roads leading to the Osogbo Township Stadium venue of the
inter-religious service. The state government had earlier in the week declared
the day, Friday 25, 2004, a public holiday to, according to a statement from
the Governor’s Office, enable workers come to the stadium to pay their
last respects to the state PDP leader, who most people credited for the emergence
of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the governor of the state.
Indeed,
the government did not hide its intension to give Afolabi a state burial. And
to demonstrate its seriousness, it appointed the Deputy Governor, Erelu Olusola
Obada, to chair the Funeral
Committee.
Prior
to this, the body had laid in state at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan a day
before and was witnessed by scores of his political associates and sympathisers
led by President Olusegun Obasanjo, himself a junior student to Afolabi at the
famous Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta. The Ibadan ceremony was a mark of
respect by the Oyo State government, given the fact that Afolabi started his
political career from the political capital of the Southwest region.
People
began to troop into the Osogbo Stadium as early as 10am, and barely two hours
later, it was wearing a new look. The various political groups in the state did
not hide their intension of making political statements with their presence.
Their stands bore various signs.
Afolabi’s
coffin, made of luxurious wooden casket, arrived the stadium some minutes after
110’clock closely guarded by the MIC undertakers. Top members of the
ruling PDP were already seated. Some of them included Chief Olabode George,
national vice-chairman Southwest; Alliance for Democracy (AD) factional
Chairman, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa; Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, the state former
governor; Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Dr. Olu Alabi, past chairman of the Federal
Capital Development Agency; Dr. Yemi Farounbi, among others.
Governor
Oyinlola arrived with his entourage at exactly 12.15pm and he immediately
proceeded to where the body was laid at the centre of the main bowl, to pay his
respect. In his brief opening remarks, the governor, who put on the same attire
with top government officials, said the gathering was not to mourn the departed
Afolabi, but to pay gratitude to God for his life, which he described as
well-spent.
He
praised his contributions for the creation and development of the state.
“We must be grateful to God for the fulfilled life lived by the political
leader”, Oyinlola stated, adding that, “let us shake off the toga
of mourning for a life well spent. What should be the concern of everybody is
how to build on the legacies he left behind”.
The
governor was of the view that with what he was able to do during his sojourn on
the earth, it would be difficult for Iree, Osun State and Nigeria to forget
him, adding that he left an indelible mark on the political terrain.
Sermons
and words of exhortation were done by Alhaji Kareem Afolayanka, a leading
Muslim cleric, and Most Rev. Onadotun Onanuga, Primate of the African Church,
Nigeria. They both enjoined Nigerians to followed the good life lived by the
departed leader, saying that people should be mindful that they will one day
account for their deeds on earth. The Christian leader said Afolabi would be
remembered as a man who laboured day and night to make sure the Southwest was
integrated into the mainstream of the nation’s politics.
It
was at this time that Chief Audu Ogbeh, the PDP national chairman, came in with
his entourage. Ogbeh was given a standing applause by PDP members who were in
majority at the state box. In his entourage includes Major General Salihu
Ibrahim, former Chief of Army Staff; Senator A.T Ahmed, Mr. Venatius Ikem and
others.
The
gate was then left open for politicians to pay tribute to a man whose influence
could be discerned with the encomium showered on him by his associates, many of
whom described him as not only a pragmatic politician, but also a man who
religiously pursued a mission once he is committed to it.
To
Babatope, who told the gathering that he normally referred to Afolabi as
‘egbon’ (meaning; my elder), the former minister had played a big
role in his life during the traumatic days of his career. “He was the
only person that left the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) that Chief Obafemi
Awolowo did not comment negatively about. I thank God that he led us and we
won”, Babatope noted.
He
then urged politicians to examine themselves in the continued search for a
better society. According to Babatope, who is also a frontline politician, when
they were detained after the military took over the reins of government during
the Second Republic, they had pledged at the prison that they must be united to
ward off any intrusion from the barracks. “When we were in detention, we
promised to be united, please let us be united”, he admonished.
He
traced Afolabi’s odyssey in the unpredictable political terrain: from his
Action Group days to the leading role he played during the Second Republic in
the old Oyo State. Yet he did not fail to remind those present how Afolabi
brought him into the PDP, adding that he did not regret listening to him and
working with him. “He held no malice and hated no one”, Babatope
stressed.
In
his tribute, Alabi, who represented the party at the 1999 governorship
election, said the closer you moved to the politician, the more you loved him.
He said the consolation is that he left a legacy, which, to him, will stand the
test of time. Alabi recounted what Afolabi said in the run up to last
year’s general elections, saying that if he could install a PDP
government in Osun State, God can take his life. “He has moved Yoruba
race from opposition to the mainstream of the nation’s politics”,
Alabi said.
But
Farounbi, who spoke in Yoruba
language, eulogised the life and times of the late leader, while charging
politicians to emulate the exemplary life he lived, which according to him, was
selfless service to his people and immense contribution to the development of
the state.
Still
there were party leaders, such as Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, PDP deputy national
chairman, who took turns to reminiscence on their interaction with Afolabi and
how his commitment to the cause of Osun State and Southwest in general is
unrivalled.
The
event that lasted for about three hours came to a close with the paying of last
respect to Afolabi’s body by the governor and other dignitaries while the
deputy governor gave the vote of thanks.
The
message was however not lost on observers that despite the public holiday
announced by the state government, the stadium was hardly filled to capacity.
And barely few minutes to the end of the programme, noise rent the air that the
former deputy governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore, had been released from prison,
having been discharged and acquitted by the trial judge.
Interestingly,
the taxi driver that took this reporter to Ikirun was to provide the answer to
the apparent indifference exhibited by some sections of the state. The driver
did not hide his disenchantment to what he described as a waste of resources
the decision of the government to give Afolabi a state burial.
“Why
should we spend tax payers money on a man who died without clearing his name of
his involvement in the ID card scam”, said Lamidi Alarape, who said the
uncontrolled traffic had disrupted his work.
But
the scenario at Iree, the hometown of Afolabi where the body was again laid in
state, was markedly different. The people were visibly appreciative of the
contributions made by Afolabi whom many described as the most important person
to ever come out of the town. Indeed, the stature of the late Afolabi has grown
to a larger image so much that his name was synonymous with that of Iree, his
place of birth.
Hence,
it was not surprising that dozens of people filed passed the body when it was
placed at the main lobby leading to the impressive but modest compound. Those
present for the funeral cut across religious divides as Muslim clerics could be
seen clutching their prayer beads with their heads bowed while praying for the
soul of their departed leader. “I pray there would be another leader like
Chief SM who has done a lot for us in this town. You can see what he has done
for us in this state and the Yoruba race in general. May his soul rest in
peace”, says Alhaji Musiliu Alarape.
Beyond
this, a glance through the condolence register placed at the footage of a
relaxed picture of Afolabi showed the country has lost one of its committed and
astute politicians. Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, a close political associate
of Afolabi, was one of those who came down to Iree to sympathise with the
family.
He
wrote the following on the condolence register when he visited on, May 25,
2004: “Chief Afolabi was a leader, he was an icon. I commenced my
political carrier under his tutelage. This loss is not only yours, it is mine
and that of other political associates that worked together with the late sage.
“We
will continue to uphold those values that he stood for, the value of democracy,
progress and unity of this country. With him, we reached out to various parts
of this country to form a national party. We believe those values will continue
to be with us as long as they are sustained by those of us who are alive”.
But
there are already many undercurrents going on both at the local and national
levels, foretelling the likely implications of the death on the politics of the
PDP and of the nation.
Even
as they mourn a man who did everything to make sure the PDP took over the
state, it was not lost on the PDP leadership in Osun that a big vacuum has been
created by the demise, hence the intrigues and deft moves that are likely to
follow in the coming months.
For
instance, Dr. Hamed Kusamotu, former national chairman of the National
Republican Convention (NRC) and a member of the State Elders Committee, wonders
what would happen if there is a crisis in the party now that Afolabi who,
according to him, held the party together and who every member respects is no
more. He said it would be difficult for anyone in the state to fit into the
leadership position left behind by Afolabi who was the founding leader of the
PDP in the state. Kusamotu added that Afolabi became the leader by a general
consensus, and as a result, it will be difficult to get a leader that would
command such respect and loyalty from members of the party.
Speaking
at the weekend at Iree during the burial ceremony, Kusamotu further noted that
the party would miss his immense contribution and his ability to settle
disputes among members.
“We
will miss his character; his indefatigable character to arouse the interest of
the people in whatever he believes in. He became our leader by general
acceptability and it will be very difficult to get another leader like SM. We
all like and love him. I believe that the epilogue of his life has been that he
is a major achiever,” he said.
Kusamotu
added: “So, it will be hard for somebody to come who will be like Afolabi
and who will get general acceptability among the members of the party in Osun
State. He was very active during the formation of political parties and he had
a strong determination that PDP must win Yoruba land, and he worked hard to
achieve it.”
Commenting
on the impact the release of Senator Iyiola Omisore will have on the politics
of the state, Kusamotu, who is also a constitutional lawyer, said the release
would no doubt dramatically change the political equation in the state, adding
that the former deputy governor’s influence in the party cannot be disputed.
He however pointed out that Governor Oyinlola has to be cautious the way he
handles the situation.
“His
release will change the political configuration in Osun State. I believe he is
one of the leaders of the party in this state and there are people who may not
agree with him. So, the governor has to do some balancing act before you can
have peace in the state. It depends on the attitude of the governor
himself,” he stressed.
On
the perceived anger of the people of the state who are not well disposed to the
way Afolabi was treated before he passed on, Kusamotu said he would not know
whether he died a sad man or not, but, according to him, the last time he spoke
with him, Afolabi was not happy about the situation and that he was very
anxious to ensure that he clears his name over the ID card scam.
In
fact, a glimpse of what to expect in the coming months was noticeable during
the funeral service at Iree. Midway into the programme, Omisore, who was
released the previous day, came in amid shouts by admirers. He walked straight
to the front row to embrace the governor and other dignitaries, including the
First Lady, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo. He then sat down in the middle of Oyinlola
and his wife. The import of this was not lost on those present.
Yet,
it was a day core members of the conservative class in the Southwest came in
dozens to honour a departed hero. Afolabi had joined the defunct National Party
of Nigeria (NPN) in 1983 when he lost the governorship primaries to the then
governor, Chief Bola Ige. At that time, it was pretty difficult for him to play
a leading role with the presence of the likes of Chief Adisa Akinloye and Chief
Richard Akinjide.
Some
even argued that his denouncement of progressivism was an advantage since it
would have been difficult for him to cut the queue in the hierarchy of the
Afenifere that has Senator Abraham Adesanya, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, Chief Ayo
Adebanjo and others. The opportunity readily came when he participated in the
formation of the PDP in 1999. Even then, his role in the emergence of President
Olusegun Obasanjo is well known to more than casual observers of the
nation’s politics.
This
must have influenced the large turn-out of his colleagues in the Peoples
Democratic Movement (PDM), the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’
political group within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), widely
regarded as one of the most formidable political organisations in the country.
The late Afolabi was its deputy chairman until his death.
The
PDM members came in droves from across the country for the burial and the
political importance of this was not lost on observers, some of whom read
meanings into the sudden regrouping.
Investigation
by Daily
Independent, however, showed that Afolabi’s demise only provided
the needed opportunity for the PDM leaders to appraise developments in the
country and how the group is faring in the scheme of things.
“Being
one of the founding fathers of the PDP and a leading member of the PDM in the
South West, we think Afolabi deserves our last respect and a befitting
burial,” said a source who
also added that the group was not particularly happy with the way Afolabi was treated at the tail end of
his life.
It
was further gathered that the presence of notable leaders of the PDM led by
Kaita, who seldom attends such occasion these days due to old age was to make a
political statement that the group was still united on its avowed principles.
Afolabi
may have died without clearing his name of the ID card scam, but giving the
eulogies poured on him and the manner of his burial, there is no doubt that he
will be remembered as one of the
great men of our time.
His
eldest son, Dr. Oladimeji, told Daily Independent:
“ I am proud to be his son, I thank God to have allowed me to pass
through him and I think every politician in Nigeria should
emulate him and his
legacies.”
