Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, have renewed their years-long hostility just days after they appeared to have settled their differences and given peace a chance.
The collapse of their relationship surfaced in a blistering “thank-you” message Mr Fayose sent to Mr Obasanjo for attending his 65th birthday celebration.
But far from being complimentary, the message launched an attack on Mr Obasanjo, describing him as someone that should be kept away in the zoo.
The confrontation marks a new chapter in the long-running frosty relationship between the two men, dating back to Mr Fayose’s 2006 removal as Ekiti State governor. Until their recent seeming reconciliation, Mr Fayose took every opportunity to publicly lambast the former president.
In a statement released Monday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Kehinde Akinyemi, Special Assistant on Media to Mr Obasanjo, said the former president received an SMS from Mr Fayose which he described as a “thank-you letter.”
The tone of the message, however, was far from appreciative. The statement captured both Mr Fayose’s text message and Mr Obasanjo’s reply. The messages made public by Mr Obasanjo’s camp were believed to be meant to be private messages between the two warring politicians.
In the text, Mr Fayose thanked Mr Obasanjo for attending his birthday event but accused him of making “very irresponsible comments” during the gathering.
“Dear Baba Obasanjo, I trust this meets you well. Your coming to my birthday party, I appreciate except for your very irresponsible comments at your age. You went so low but I am not surprised because someone once said you are supposed to be kept away in the zoo. Sincerely that’s where you belong.” he wrote.
The former governor escalated the insults, calling Mr Obasanjo “a mad man” and claiming the ex-president was in a “heightened stage of dementia”:
“I kept quiet or did not reply you at the function so that the world will know the difference between a sane and a mad man that you are. It is also obvious that you have also lost your sanity OR should I say is the heightened stage of dementia. Not to worry Baba., I shall set the records straight in due course of time,” he said
He further demanded that Mr Obasanjo return money he gave him to cover his flight from Rwanda to attend his birthday celebration held on Saturday.
“Lastly I shall appreciate if you return my money since you publicly admitted you received but Dangote brought u back,” he added.
Responding through his media aide, Mr Obasanjo thanked Mr Fayose for the message, saying it “undisguisedly revealed who and what you are, unchanged and unchangeable.”
On the money, Mr Obasanjo said it had been returned.
““Your money has been sent back through Foluso Adeagbo who brought it and in the same bag as he brought it unopened by me,” he wrote.
Multiple calls to Mr Fayose on Monday evening were not answered.
