The disagreement between Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, and Chief Sunday Adeyemo, a prominent Yoruba Nation advocate, has escalated further.
Even with efforts by esteemed traditional leaders, including Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, to mediate peace, both parties remain in conflict.
Adams and Adeyemo are now threatening legal action and demanding public retractions.
The discord stems from an alleged leaked phone call concerning Adeyemo, involving Adams and an unidentified individual.
On March 25, 2024, Adeyemo’s lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, issued a letter to Adams, calling for an immediate withdrawal of statements he labeled as “defamatory and injurious.”
Olajengbesi stipulated a 48-hour deadline for Adams to publicly acknowledge his false accusations in two national newspapers or face a N10 billion defamation lawsuit.
Adams, however, has cautioned against interpreting his silence as weakness, asserting that the allegations are a targeted attempt to tarnish his reputation.
In light of the contentious audio recordings, Adams expressed his readiness to clarify any misconceptions regarding the supposed defamatory content.
Adams said: “The reason for my silence in the midst of the various legal and media infractions by Igboho and Ayinde was not because I am a coward, but because of the initial interventions of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, other prominent Obas and several other important personalities in Yorubaland.
“But with the ongoing lies and aspersions against my person, I think it is time for me to come out open and set the record straight.
“Though, my legal team have done what was required of them, I need to state it clearly that the audio clip generating the squabbles was a distorted and disjointed content of a private conversation which held way back in 2021 with a US-based younger brother of a friend.
“The conversation was initiated by the young man who claimed he wanted a reconciliation between myself, Igboho and some other people. It was while responding on reasons for reconciliation at the time that he mentioned the names of the two people.”
“In the said audio, I said it repeatedly that though it was very difficult to believe, there’s an unconfirmed rumour allegedly linking Igboho to the murder of the late Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.
“My statement was not done in bad faith and it was purely a private conversation. It is surprising how a private conversation held almost four years ago would suddenly turn up in the hands of Igboho.
“To discerning minds, it is obvious that Igboho unlawfully invaded my privacy, bugged a private conversation and inappropriately used the same on several social media platforms.
“Before now, precisely in early March, the same people had bombarded the media space about my heritage. The same people had claimed I was of Tapa, Nupe extraction. In another breath, they alleged that I requested the sum of N20billion from the organisers of the Yoruba Security Conference, held in Ile Ife, Osun state on 29 February, 2024.
“They followed up these dastardly acts by invading and intruding on my privacy. My legal team are presently working on all these.
“However, on the issue of my brother, Tayo Ayinde, let me make it clear here that I repeatedly said that whatever was said was a rumor that couldn’t be substantiated or made public. But for their sinister motives, it was Igboho that bugged my telephone, published and made it public.
“The picture has now become clearer that they resorted to the audio clip blackmail after they failed in their earlier attempt to rubbish my name.
“This was how they abused the Ooni of Ife, His imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi,the late Alaafin of Oyo,Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and other Yoruba Obas that had done well and contributed a lot to the development and progress of Yoruba.”
