Obasanjo Masterminded My Impeachment In 2006, Says Ladoja

Former Oyo State governor and Otunba Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, yesterday stunned listeners when he revealed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the brain behind his impeachment in January 2006.

The former governor who disclosed this while speaking yesterday on a radio programme as part of his 80th birthday celebration, said: “Impeachment! You see some people said it was Otunba Alao-Akala, some said it was Chief Lamidi Adedibu.

“No! It was not any of them. It was former President Olusegun Obasanjo and I told him that he failed. I told him to his face that he failed, because the fact that I was able to come back while you are still in office and there was nothing you could do about it means you have failed.

“I said politics in a democratic setting is a game of rules. Just like football, you can’t stand offside and say you scored, unless the referee is biased. I say the fact; you can only impeach by two-third majority, including the speaker. I was able to have 14 out of 32 members.

“It was during Sallah that we went to see Obasanjo in Abeokuta. I was there with former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, and former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Agagu. We didn’t call the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, because we knew that Fayose was Obasanjo’s son.

“They knelt down and I joined them to let the sleeping dog lie, and Obasanjo said Rashidi, go and resign and I said no, I won’t resign.

“He said if you don’t resign, you will be removed and I said you cannot do it. He said why? I said he can’t get two-third and he said two-third my foot and he left the place in fury. So, Gbenga ran after him.

“When we were reflecting on what to do, myself, Agagu, Oyinlola, the former World Court judge, Bola Ajibola came in and he said what is wrong with you?

“He said I know your problem; your problem is that you don’t want Ladoja to be impeached and they said ‘yes.’ He said I have talked about it with Agagu but he is just adamant.

“He said, but there comes a time when you must have to stand up and fight. He said you have to go to court, make as much noise as you can, so that the whole world will know something is happening in Oyo State and that is exactly what we did.”