Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has apologised to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, for his absence at his coronation ceremony in Ibadan on Friday.
Atiku apologised to Oba Ladoja during a visit to Olubadan at his Bodija, Ibadan, residence on Tuesday.
The former Vice-President, who was accompanied on the visit by the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorcha Ayu, former governors of Cross Rivers and Kaduna states, Senator Lyel Imoke and Malam El-Rufai, said he had planned to attend the event but was unable due to logistical reasons.
Atiku said, ‘The Chiefs of Ibadan, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. First of all, Kabiyesi, I want to start with an apology. And I hope you will accept my apology on behalf of the rest for our inability to personally witness your coronation as Olubadan, which we know is your lifetime ambition. And by the grace of God, you have attained it.
‘Virtually all members of my delegation today have one form of relationship or another with you personally. Our inability to attend the inauguration was due to the protocol logistics arrangement, which could not allow us from attending. Not that we did not want to attend.
‘I know your relationship with most of us; we have always looked forward to this day and to this position for you. That is why, therefore, I spoke with you a couple of days ago, to seek your permission to lead this very high-level and distinguished delegation to come and personally congratulate you and wish you a very long, happy reign as Olubadan.
‘Please, therefore, accept our apology for our inability to attend the actual event on that day, certainly not due to our own making, but I think God has willed it that way.
‘The protocol logistics were such that we could not meet up with those logistics and therefore had to abort that visit.
‘We very much regret our inability to personally participate in the ceremonies and we sincerely hope you will overlook and forgive our absence during that historic event.
‘It is historic to both you, your family, and us, your friends and associates all over the country and we want to thank God for sparing our lives to witness this moment of your ascension to the position of Olubadan.
‘We pray you will have a long reign. And under your reign, Ibadan will continue to grow more prosperous, more peaceful and may God grant you your heart’s desires here, in the world, and thereafter. We thank you very much indeed for allowing us to pay you this congratulatory visit.
‘I would, therefore, like to hand over to you our letter of congratulations. And hope that you will forgive us and overlook our personal absence during those celebrations. Kabiyesi, God bless you.’
In his response, Oba Ladoja recounted the good relationship he has enjoyed with Abubakar and other members of his entourage.
Oba Ladoja disclosed that as a traditional ruler, he is no longer in politics but would always remember the ideas and experiences shared with his friends.
He recounted that he has enjoyed many years of personal and working relationships with virtually all the members of the entourage.
He, therefore, assured the visitors that he would make all his friends proud, reiterating that his only task on the throne is to serve humanity.
‘Former Vice-President, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, whom I fondly call My President. My Dear friends, welcome to this place. My dear friend, for a long time, we kept close to one another. So God has brought us together again today.
‘Welcome. Even though I’m no longer one of you anymore, I’m not a politician again.
‘I was really shocked when I didn’t see some of my friends, and the same night I sent a message to Waziri that I hope nothing had happened, because the advance team was here, I was following the lists of guests and I was looking forward to seeing you, but unfortunately, you could not make it.
‘When they say logistic problems, I can understand. Protocol logistics. I can understand what it means. So that is something we can say is beyond your control. So there is nothing to forgive here because it was not deliberate. It was even difficult for all of us.
‘I said this because the first person who announced the passing away of the last Olubadan was Waziri. I woke up in the morning about 5 o’clock and I saw his message if it was a rumour that Olubadan is dead, is it true? I called him and said yes, it is true. He now said, is it now our turn? I said yes, it is our turn.
‘So that is why I said, somebody who said it is our turn and all the processes of his coming have been perfected, his advance team was here, the list of members of his entourage is here, so for him not to be able to be present, but I know that Waziri is used to such last-minute problems. So it is I who should apologise to you. Not you apologising to me because I can understand what you mean.
‘It is nice to have friends with you because I can remember that my friend, Senator Ayu said, we will carry the title of senator for life. He said there is nothing like a former senator. In fact, I was expecting your wife also. She didn’t come because she is one of my daughters.
‘Mallam has been my friend since the day of BPE. I remember there was a program of Standard Trust. Where he came and said, Maybe I will also join Standard Trust because I see potential governance here.
‘So it was his prediction that I became a governor, so thank you for that prediction. So now that I am in Olubadan, I am no more entitled to be any other thing than Olubadan.
‘We had a very nice relationship at the Senate with my friend Lyle Imoke, at that time he was the youngest senator and later on in Cross River State, when he was governor. Anytime I went visiting, he treated me with utmost respect. And it is always a joy to meet somebody you have known before.
‘Thank you very much for coming. So we meet again. And I hope that this is not going to be the last meeting because I will come to Abuja to thank each of you one by one. I am very, very grateful.’
‘I can assure you that I will make you proud as your Olubadan. I will make all my friends proud because all the religious leaders, both Christian, Muslim and the traditional ones, say that the only thing that is expected of a leader is fairness and justice. So I intend to do justice among my people and serve them with all the strength that is left in me.
‘I just passed 81 and in fact the Waziri asked me whether I was going to celebrate, and I said I was in confinement where they normally confine us before the day of coronation. So I was not opportuned to be there. They said, That’s why they are not coming to my birthday.
‘So the remainder of my life will be spent serving my people. Ibadan people, Oyo state people, Nigerian people, Africa and the world at large. I will depend on your support, on your advice and I hope that when we knock on your door, you will open it for us. So I am very grateful for this visit.’