Leader of Afenifere, Yoruba socio-political group, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, has challenged Chief Bisi Akande, the former interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the ruling party, to disclose their source of wealth.
Tinubu and Akande are former governors of Lagos and Osun States.
The duo, who are strong allies, have been in the news since last week when “My Participations”, the autobiography of Akande, was launched.
In the book, which addressed a wide range of issues, Akande alleged that Adebanjo pestered Tinubu to help him build his house in Lekki Phase One in Lagos.
When contacted for a reaction last week, the Afenifere leader had told Daily Trust that he would respond to the allegation.
In his reaction, Adebanjo explained how he raised money to build his Lekki mansion and challenged Tinubu and Akande to state their source of wealth.
He alleged that Tinubu is assisting Akande with a house that is twice the size of his own Lekki mansion.
The Afenifere leader also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to verify whatever the APC chieftains put out in response to his challenge.
“About a week ago, last Thursday, 7 December to be exact at the presentation of the book “MY PARTICIPATION” by Chief Bisi Akande it was said that Chief Bisi Akande stated in the book that I brought pressure on Bola Tinubu to build the house for me. But since Bola Tinubu himself was present at the presentation I expect him within a few days to refute such a malicious falsehood about me emanating from his Man Friday.”
“I hold this view because Bola Tinubu just some 3 years ago on the occasion of the presentation of my auto-biography “SAYING IT AS IT IS ” that for my incorruptibility and strength of character he Bola Tinubu would not have been Governor of Lagos State in 1999. What then could he be demanding from me after his two-term governorship to make me pressurize him to build a house for me when I did not get a naira from him before he became the governor?
“There has been a lot of pressure on me not to react to Chief Bisi Akande’s tantrums, he is a neophyte, a beneficiary of a struggle he never took part in. I have been urged to keep to the adage not to “Answer a fool less you reduce yourself to his level, but there is also an adage that says, “Answer a fool less he thinks he is wise”. A lot has been said in the press and social media to demolish tantrums.
“But I owe a duty to myself and to put the record straight for posterity about the big lie that Bola Tinubu built my house in Lekki for me.
I, therefore, deny categorically that my house at Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of 3 developed properties, a loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given me by my late leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory. The details are as follows: A 4 bedroom duplex with 2 bedroom flat enclosed with 2 undeveloped plots at plot 4, block 14, Nuru Oniwo Street, Aguda Surulere, Lagos State, this is where I was living before moving to Lekki. The house was commissioned in 1972 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
“The Lekki property, the house in my village, Isanya Ogbo, and 3 Bedroom flat in a townhouse, at Omorinre Street in Lekki are the properties I have in the whole world. I hereby authorize the EFCC to verify the above facts.
“It is alleged that Chief Bisi Akande’s building at Ila-Orogun, which I understand is more than double in the expanse of my house in Lekki and some other properties he has in Lagos and abroad were financed by Bola Tinubu. His house in Ibadan was also alleged to have been built by the contractor that built the secretariat in Oshogbo when he was the Governor of Osun State.
“I hereby challenge Chief Bisi Akande to clear the air by disclosing the source of financing these properties as I have done above.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the great philanthropist should also disclose the source of his wealth with which he bankrolled the elections of APC in the Southwest and that of General Muhammad Buhari and his various properties in Lagos.
He should also authorize the EFCC to verify such details as I have done above.”
