AYO ADEBANJO

Ayo Adebanjo is a radical politician, a lawyer, elder statesman, a patriotic Nigerian and a chieftain of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, He was amongst those that fought for Nigeria independence with the Late Obafemi Awolowo. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday with the launch of an Autobiography titled ‘Telling it all’ and big reception party held in his hometown Ijebu Igbo to celebrate these major milestones in his life. FUNKE BABS-KUFEJI caught up with the elder statesman in his home in Lekki just before all the merriment where he told her about turning 90, publishing a book 11 years after, being an ardent supporter of Chief Awolowo and more.

Looking back at the toil and pain in the struggle for democracy, how do you feel celebrating your 90th birthday in a democratic Nigeria?

I’m grateful to God considering all the things I went through - local detentions, exile in Ghana, detained in Kirikiri Prison with Wole Soyinka and a lot more and still lived through it all to celebrate my 90th birthday. I’m thankful to God Almighty.

What’s the nature of the Nigeria you knew growing up? What would you say has changed, what has remained the same, and what should be done to effect positive changes?

The Nigeria that I grew up in is quite different from the one I see now. It was a Nigeria where we paid school fees but still had quality education, very few people went to school in those days but I was privileged to have been sent to school by my mother because I was from a polygamous family. All up till when I went to grammar school, you will be surprised to know my whole education then from primary school to secondary school cost just about £72 which then was 72. In those days my mum was a cigarette seller and she used to save money through thrift to pay my fees. It was even my pocket money I used to buy the application form because I didn’t tell them at home. After taking the exam, I had to persuade my mum to let me go but she wouldn’t budge till I told her it was the same school our landlord’s son attended before she was convinced I could go there. Those days before you eve left secondary school, you already got job interviews to work where you wished. Today University graduates can’t get a job. Growing up in those days, the middle class elements in our society bought cars freely to reward children who came out in flying colours because they could afford it. But now they can hardly afford to even pay their children’s school fees.

There has to be a change and that must come from all those who suffer now. I am one of those who believe that as there are bad leaders we also have bad followers. If the followers are conscious of their rights they will remove the bad leaders. So the followership in itself needs a new orientation. Everyone should let their votes count and your votes can only count if those who are voting realize the value of their votes and don’t compromise it for useless material things. So till we get the people properly orientated this country isn’t going anywhere.

Having been a lawyer since the 1960s, what would you say is the one thing you can’t forget about practising law?

If there is one thing or case that comes to mind, it will have to be the case of Adiatu Ladunni Versus Kukoyi. It was a land dispute case and Justice G.B.A Coker at the Supreme Court gave judgment. It was the most memorable case in my career as a lawyer because I was in opposition to one of the top Lawyers of our time, Chief Rotimi Williams who was a SAN and I was a junior lawyer. My senior then the late Ola Owodunni had sent me to argue the case but I was jittery but with proper preparation and resilience I won the case.

A man of many caps, you also cut your teeth in journalism, did you get any formal training before going into journalism?

Well I will say one thing led to another. When I was dismissed from the civil service, I had a raw deal with a white man, an account of which you can read in my memoirs. I was in charge of the registration of birth and death in the ministry. In 1951 this white man barged into my office asking for the dental office without the common curtesy of “Hello!” I had to ask him, “Is that how you say good morning in your country?”, a retort that annoyed him very much. He went upstairs to report me to the boss who said to me to apologize and I refused. This was a very big issue back then and since I refused to apologize my appointment was terminated.

Dr Maja,Dr Doherty and the late Gbadamosi were the leaders to the Egbe Omo Oduduwa group of which I was a prominent member of and were aware of my political involvement and didn’t want me to go back into civil service because that was when this politics of a thing was very new and boiling in my blood. They handed me over to Alhaji S.O. Gbadamosi who gave me a job as a clerk in his factory. It was from there I met the late Victor Olabisi Onabanjo and chose to work at the Daily Service under him. From working as a journalist I met Chief Obafemi Awolowo who picked me as the organizing secretary of the Action Group in 1962.

What were your experiences as a journalist in those years (1960s)?

To be candid I was a prejudiced journalist who only wanted to cover court cases because I had the intention of being a lawyer. The late JIC Taylor who was a former Chief Justice of Lagos was in practice, Rotimi Williams was in practice, they were the leading lawyers at that time and I always paid particular attention to the court rooms were they were always going to argue out a case or be in opposition with each other.

You said you met chief Obafemi Awolowo during your years at the Daily Service as a journalist. Tell us exactly how you met and your experiences with him.

I would say I was a Zikist, a follower of Nnamdi Azikiwe when I was in school. As a matter of fact I had been buying the West African Pilot owned by Azikiwe since 1942 when I was still in primary school. And Azikiwe was preaching a unity form of government then. He equated us all as One Nigeria, but when Chief Awolowo came to preach federalism, telling us that because of our diversity as a people and a nation, a unity form of government would not work in the country. He was of the opinion that we could still remain one but we must have system of government where each region must be autonomous in certain aspects of government. It was when I started to pay more attention to his teachings and understanding his point that I started to shift camp to Chief Awolowo’s. So whenever or wherever he was campaigning I was always there and that’s how we met. He singled me out when we formed the Action Group youth association, when the late Remi Fani-Kayode was the be chairman and I was the central secretary

You are very quick and agile for a 90-year-old man, is there a secret to your physical well being?

I take very seriously my routine exercise, whether in Lagos or in my country home in Isanya Ogbo. It’s one habit that has been with me for a very long time. To keep fit and stay trendy, you must not compromise on your exercise routine. How do I exercise? I walk around my compound or on the Lekki - Ikoyi link bridge.

You recently launched your autobiography in an elaborate book launch in Lagos, why did it take you this long to write it?

I won’t say I just decided to write an autobiography, it has been a work in progress and it took so long because I was lazy about it. I started writing it over 10 years ago, to have it published for my 80th birthday but it didn’t happen. And as a matter of fact I was only able to publish it now because some of my admirers had forced me to settle down to write it. To sit and write isn’t an easy task and you as a journalist must know this.

What should people expect to gain from it or why will you say the book is a must read?

I think what people should learn from it and from me is to be consistent in politics. If you hold any political view you must have a reason for it and it must be ideologically based. Politics without discipline is no politics. What they will gain from it is the importance of being consistent in politics and being principled.

If you were to be described by those who know you what do you think they would say?

Like I always tell people be principled in everything you do in this life. I’m sure anyone that knows me will say I’m a man of principle. I always do what I know to be right. So definitely I’m sure many people will describe me as a principled man.

There has to be a change and that must come from all those who suffer now. I am one of those who believe that as there are bad leaders we also have bad followers. If the followers are conscious of their rights they will remove the bad leaders. So the followership in itself needs a new orientation.

How will you describe your personal style? The occasion determines what I wear although these days I wear native attires more. I feel very comfortable too if I decide to wear casuals or suit. Any last word for the youth on ensuring good governance in Nigeria?

First I’ll say they should be principled. To follow principles that will develop your generation, not what you will get there. These days you find people who are unemployed living in a one bedroom flat go into politics and before they leave political office they have built houses in different locations. Those ones are in politics to loot Nigeria, because they must have invested money or someone must have invested money to put them there and that must be stopped and completely destroyed and it’s you young people that have to stand your grounds. You make sure you don’t sell your votes; you make sure you don’t

I think what people should learn from it and from me is to be consistent in politics. If you hold any political view you must have a reason for it and it must be ideologically based. Politics without discipline is no politics. What they will gain from it is the importance of being consistent in politics and being principled.