I read with bemusement, the hurriedly written and half-thought-out article of one Yemi Oke, published in The Eagle Online of August 25, 2022.
I have known Yemi Oke in the last 12 years more as an unprincipled politician than the lawyer he claims to be.
Yemi, is like a dog who is ready to wag its tail for anyone that drops the crumbs. He is passionate in his defence of current principal and he can take the defence to the lowest gutter level.
His article is not only full of grammatical and typographical errors unbecoming of a “Prof” that he claims to be, it’s full of hear-says and inaccuracies. Like an agent-provocateur, what the Yoruba will call arije ni madaru, and for ulterior reasons, our friend Arije chose to open old wounds, even when the personalities involved have resolved and moved on. In fact many of these personalities are in the same All Progressives Congress, of which I am privileged to be the State Publicity Secretary.
A good lawyer is expected to be sensitive to facts, knowing the implications and consequences of not being accurate. There are serious errors in events mentioned by Yemi. Even the name of the ACP he mentioned was not correct. Personally, I was not taken to Otungba Gbenga Daniel by late Remi Oyo. I have been in my local government politics, participated in the screening of Supervisors-to-be from my Itele Ward 7, Ijebu East LG, in 2003, where I emerged first among about seven applicants. As at 2002, I was already a published author, a resource person to UNESCO, Peer Reviewer with the World Bank, a Resident Journalist with the House of Journalism, Lome, Togo and a Visiting Journalist to the Nigerian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO under Professor Emeritus Michael Omolewa. I was from 2001 the Executive Director of Centre for Media Education and Networking, Lagos. I don’t know where Yemi Oke was then.
Arije also did not tell his readers, who he attempted to hoodwink, that immediately Otunba Gbenga Daniel that was servicing his limitless needs left power, he joined late Senator Buruji Kashamu, who he had earlier described as “OGD’s enemy”. After OGD, Arije immediately became legal consultant to Kashamu to work against same OGD! The first time I saw Arije at Kashamu’s office at Victoria Island, Lagos, I evaded him. I later traveled out to Ghana and told Prince Kashamu that I will have nothing to do with a character like Arije.
Just two months ago, same Yemi Oke was campaigning for Senate ticket on the platform of the APC in Ogun Central Senatorial District. He contacted me and pleaded for my support. Though I wished him well, I knew he cannot smell the ticket not only because of his instability, but also because he is a political light-feather weight.
Less than two months after, Arije in his true character has found a new pay master and he is now an advocate of his new bread and butter baker. He did not see Biyi Otegbeye as the “best best” for Ogun governorship when he was desperately haggling for APC ticket two months ago.
While Arije possesses a right, inalienable and fundamental, to jump from one political bed to another, he however ought to know, even as a lawyer, that facts are sacrosanct. He could actually peddle his current political merchandise without muddling up facts and engaging in vainglorious, self-serving half-truths.
. Oladunjoye, the Ogun State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, writes from oladunjoyelo@gmail.com.