Former Oyo State governor, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has opened up about the controversial impeachment that led to his removal from office, naming former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the driving force behind the saga.
In an interview on Fresh FM, hosted by Isaac Brown, Ladoja dispelled the long-standing belief that the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and his former deputy, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, orchestrated his ousting.
Ladoja shared the behind-the-scenes story, revealing that it was Obasanjo who pushed for his resignation, a demand Ladoja refused. “It wasn’t Adedibu or Akala, it was Obasanjo,” he stated.
Ladoja recounted his experience, including how he, along with fellow Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Gbenga Daniel, and Dr. Segun Agagu, went to plead with Obasanjo in Abeokuta during the Muslim festival of Eid-el-Kabir. Despite their efforts, Obasanjo insisted on his resignation.
Reflecting on the legal battle that followed, Ladoja credited the late Prince Bola Ajibola, a former World Court Justice, with helping him reclaim his mandate. He noted that Ajibola provided crucial advice that ultimately led to his victory in the Supreme Court.
This revelation sheds new light on one of Nigeria’s most controversial political events, highlighting Obasanjo’s pivotal role in the impeachment saga.