‘Uncle Bayo’ – Governor Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, was such a wonderful jolly fellow who had been known to me since the mid 80s when he was the OC in charge of the Area Command of the NPF. We were together with Egbon Brigadier Brimo three Saturdays ago at the wedding of Alhaji Kayode Adanla’s daughter on Ring Road and he was his ebullient self.
Jovial in his best elements. By my own reckoning, he stood amongst the pack of past and present Governors of my state as the best Governor with human relations. Though I had my differences with him which dated back to the impeachment of our revered father Governor Rasheed Ladoja which I questioned through the courts and got reversed, he never directly attacked or intimidated me in anyway unlike some of his supporters that unleashed so much violence and harassment including assassination attempts on me that led to my exile in Lagos for 14 months at the expense of Asiwaju Tinubu with the support of the then Governor Fashola and Chief Ladoja himself. God bless them all .
They bore the expenses of my 14 months exile in Lagos and resettled me professionally during the 14 months of locusts. Uncle Bayo would be present when my “twin brother “ his lawyer and one of the best that ply our trade, Prince Abdul Lateef Fagbemi SAN, FCIArb would be sending money and clothing materials to me in exile but would not discourage him. My twin brother Fagbemi would collect money from him and sent part of same to me in Lagos .
On two occasions ‘Uncle Bayo’ was with my brother Lateef at Next and Mark And Spencers , some popular shopping malls in London when he asked Lateef to pick up some materials for himself and the latter was busy picking same in doubles. He asked AbdulLateef “why are you picking materials in double of the same stuff” and Lateef replied unapologetically, the other pairs are for “Niyi. We wear the same sizes of everything, trousers, Shirts, suits, caps , Shoes etc. Despite my stiff opposition to his emergence as Governor and I did everything to correct the wrong I thought he committed ( both real and imagined).
‘Uncle Bayo’ still went ahead to pay for the stuffs on the two occasions as narrated to me by my friend Prince Fagbemi SAN without thinking of my disposition towards him. He tried and did everything to woo me to his side but I remained recalcitrant and hostile towards his political positions. He often joked about it in his fantastic human relations manner “Ema Dawon Lohun, Ohun ati Orere Lateef, asokanna ni wonowo, bata kanna , wonowa Wasi court wonoma pariwo morawon ninu case wa. Ti orere bagba owo yo fun ‘Niyi nibe,yio tun raso fun ninure, Sugbon ‘Niyi ani afitonba yomi nipo.” Literally meaning, mind the two of them not, they wear the same clothes, same shoes, same caps and stay together like glues. Lateef and ‘Niyi would come to Court, engaged each other in a shouting match over my case. ‘Niyi insisted on getting me out of office. He succeeded on the impeach and Lateef succeeded in the Election Petition proper. Lateef would spend my money on the two of them in my presence but I do not bother. Reason? ‘Niyi and Lateef are very honest. They are thorough professionals. I did everything to Court his friendship including usage of carrots but he would not budge and his friend too never compromised me in anyway on the platform of relationship etc”.
This last statement was made in Uncle Bayo’s house in the presence of Egbon Gbola Adetunji, Alhaji Audu Marafa and Chief Ohu during the march on to the primaries of APC in 2018. So many other revelations concerning my stiff opposition to the impeachment saga and the roles played by some notable individuals both noble and ignoble were brought to the fore on that day in the full glare of everyone present.
Again when our party started the Macabre dance of ignominy in 2021, Uncle Bayo Akala convened a meeting in his house as the constitutionally recognised leader of our party. I had earlier made it known to all and sundry that like him or not , Uncle Bayo being the most senior Elected Past Party official of our party , a former Governor still alive, he is the leader of the party by the Article of our party constitution in the absence of a serving Governor who is a member of the party.
Many may not like to hear this, but it is the truth. The party constitution says so and it does not matter whether he just joined the party. had left the party before now or in spite of any excess baggage on his part. At the meeting in his house, he looked across the sprawling lawn of his house and sighted me and looked again in the direction of a fellow who played despicable roles in the saga of the ALGON members case and he retorted “Niyi mabinuoo. Gbogbo awon onimadaru, obati Bawa pari ejoo ALGON sugbon toripe wonnbinu ori , wink Oba awon enieleni. Wontiwa pada sodore bayio. Sugbon bawonseeo. Okuku sese made ejo fun egbe laigba kobo. Jowo aburomi mabinu.”I was touched by his sense of appreciation, understanding and sense of gratitudes. Unknown to many, Mrs Kemi Akala is my “Aburo” of the Baptist stock.
We were together in Babaoko, First Baptist Church, Ilorin in the Choir. She in the junior Choir and I in the Senior. When I got the Satanic news of Uncle Bayo’s death, it was too devastating to my ears. I put a called through to ‘Kemi to verify the news and amidst tears , she confirmed the news. The next person of importance to me on the news was my “ twin brother “ his much beloved lawyer Prince Fagbemi SAN , FCIArb who in far away USA was also struggling to get across to me and on reaching each other, we broke down in tears on Phone.
Uncle Bayo was a grateful soul till his death. He acknowledged till death the role of Fagbemi SAN in his political successes. Just 4 Saturday ago at Mav 21 Events Centre during the wedding ceremonies of Alhaji Adanla’s daughter, Uncle Bayo, myself and General Brimo sat together at the reception. We were specially treated and entertained together and inspite of our differences over party state Congress, Uncle Bayo said to me, “‘Niyi ojeunni? Wajeyan nao” . I immediately took a tap of pounded yam and followed his example by lacing same with Ewedu and stock fish and Uncle Bayo went on “ Sotibami dupe Lowo ekeji re dada? Oyomi puro ninu itiju aureate. To which I replied that I had several times over. That was probably the fifth time, Uncle Bayo would Appeal to me to thank my twin brother over the issue of his over dramatised EFCC case. So this morning, I assuage the feelings of my brother Lateef Fagbemi SAN that he should take consolace in the fact that God Almighty had used him to give joy and comfort to his friend, Uncle Bayo Alao Akala in his hour of needs and used his knowledge and goodwills to save Uncle Bayo name from eternal blemish.
We thereafter reviewed life and see the futility of the earthly world. We saw the futility and stupidity of making unearned enemies, the stupidity of taking panadol for other people’s headache. I was still dumbfoundedly sunk into the Sofa in my office, forgetting that I had a flight to Catch in Lagos, confused and seriously disturbed when my eyes caught the write up of one of my highly respected compatriots who rarely flattered nor suffer fools gladly, Chief Soji Eniade comments.
I was touched again and again and moved to tears. Soji was right and correct. When we were attacked at the Court of Appeal Ibadan as counsel to Governor Ladoja and my “twin brother “ Fagbemi as counsel to Akala had to personally drove my leader in the Legal team Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN and I to the Ibadan end Of the toll gate to pave way for our escape from Ibadan, Upon being told of our predicaments , Unce Bayo still called me through Fagbemi SAN to offer apologies for the behaviour of the political thugs and when my better half was denied her rights at her work place , Uncle Bayo still called to disassociate himself from the despicable act, saying to me at the 70th birthday party of our political leader Chief Michael Koleoso by the swimming pool side of Premier Hotel “Niyi miolowo ninu gbogbontiwonse funee atiyawooeo. Isere lonse, Iyawore kosewa. Mabinu, masa kakirimo, kosontiyoseo..” Of course I came to Ibadan for the birthday party under heavy security of 12 mobile Policemen from Lagos , my abode of exile courtesy of Asiwaju and on seeing him, I made move to leave the venue immediately but he stopped me .
Uncle Bayo was a beautiful soul and very pleasant personality with a golden heart. While some of my own kinsmen in the then Government were after my life and threatened my family welfare, Asiwaju, Fagbemi , Gov Akeredolu,
Uncle Bayo and his Deputy Gbolarumi would remain my hero of Liberty for they aided my escape several times from the hooligans and men of a patron of political thugs called Johnson or Jonathan. He was the Police Commissioner unleashed on the hapless people of Oyo State during turbulent time.
The demise of Uncle Bayo is a great loss not only to Mrs Kemi Akala his beloved wife, Olamiju his dear son and all his siblings, extended family members, his blossom friend and confidant Fagbemi SAN, my humble self, members of the political class in Oyo state of both divides, the Baptist community in Ogbomoso, Oyo State and Nigeria and indeed all his friends and colleagues all over Nigeria and in diaspora, but all lovers of freedom, good life, human relations .
May God give all of us, particularly the people of Ogbomosoland and the political class of Oyo state the fortitude to bear the loss. We shall surely miss him.
Adieu, Uncle ‘ B’.
Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN
