celebrity radar - gossips
ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE GOVERNOR OF OGUN STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, PRINCE DAPO ABIODUN MFR, AT A THANK YOU VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR THE HONOUR ACCORDED LATE CHIEF MOSHOOD KASHIMAWO OLAWALE ABIOLA HELD ON TUESDAY, 30TH JULY, 2019
Protocols,
Mr. President Sir, on Tuesday 12th June, 2018, Your Excellency held an event which you might have considered a simple acknowledgement of a democratic milestone in the annals of our dear country. However, Mr. President Sir, what Your Excellency did was doing a great thing in a simple way.
2. For us, as a Government; the Family of Late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of Gbagura Quarters of Abeokuta; and, the entire good people of Ogun State, Mr. President, you have done us a great honour. And as our people say, “Eniti a se lore ti ko dupe, bi olosa ko ni leru lo ni”. Literally translated as “He, who refuses to acknowledge a good deed, is no better than a robber”. Therfore, Mr. President, I stand on behalf of the Government; the Family of Late MKO Abiola; and, the entire good people of Ogun State, to thank you most sincerely, for the honour done to one of our illustrious sons.
3. Indeed, this honour is not only to MKO as he is fondly called, but the entire good people of Ogun State. Mr. President, you have demonstrated in unambiguous terms that you are a true democrat
.
4. Mr. President, Ogun State occupies a preeminent position in all fields of human endeavour in Nigeria. Time and space will not permit me to list our firsts, and/or, trail-blazing records in different spheres of human life. But for the purpose of this gathering, I will mention a few: The individual and collective roles of heroes and heroines such as the Sage, Late Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo; Late Reverend Isreal Oludotun Ransome Kuti, and his wife, Late (Mrs.) Funmilayo Ransome Kuti; and so on, in the independence of Nigeria, is written in stone. Even after independence, the roles of Ogun sons and daughters in entrenching good democratic principles and processes, cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
5. We also recall that during the turbulent period of our democratic history, especially after the June 12, 1993 election and the return of democracy in 1999, we cannot but mention the names Ogun sons and daughters in that struggle to bring back democracy. Names of Professor Wole Soyinka; the Late Kuti Brothers, Professor Olikoye and Dr. Beeko will continue to resound. We are lucky to have in this gathering, one of the dogged fighters in the NADECO trenches, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye. And not forgetting a generalissimo on many fronts, Baba Olusegun Osoba, our revered leader.
6. Needless to say that it is a son of Ogun State, Chief Earnest Sonekan that was entrusted with the leadership of the Interim Government: a move which doused the tension generated by the annulment of the June 12 election.
7. We must not forget, Your Excellency, that the democracy we are enjoying today, was paid for by the blood of a great and illustrious son of Ogun State. The man, Abiola, even in death, means many things to many different people. He was a Pan-Nigeria- as at that time he had friends in all parts of Nigeria. He was a Pan-African and an ardent supporter of the Black Congressional Caucus in the United States of America and other causes in support of the black race and humanity in general. He was also passionate about the reparation struggle. He was a lover of sports- which earned him the title: Pillar of Sports in Africa. He was a philanthropist. He was a bridge builder among people of many races.
That was MKO before contesting the June 12 Presidential election. Clearly, it was his passion for the development of humanity that made him name his campaign slogan “HOPE 93”. That hope was dashed; that hope was broken and washed away when MKO died in incarceration on 7th July, 1998 at the age of 60.
8. As a government and as people of Ogun State, we are quite aware that we carry a big burden, but we are proud inheritors of the legacies bequeathed to us by all this heroes and heroines. We owe it a duty to all of them, dead and living, to ensure that Ogun State sustain its enviable position among the comity of States in Nigeria.
Borrowing the words of M.K.O. “only real democracy can move our nation forward towards progress, and earn her the respect she deserves from the international community”.
9. Indeed, our administration’s “Building our Future Together” agenda encapsulates the focus of Awolowo and Olabisi Onabanjo in education, agriculture and governance; the ground-breaking records of the Ogunlesis, Lambos, Olikoyes in medicine and entrenching human right; the model of Baba Osoba in rural development; the prowess of Anthony Asiwaju and Biyi Afonja in academia; to mention but a few. These form the basis for our Administration’s unalloyed commitment towards upholding the principle of good governance – governance that is participatory, inclusive, responsive, effective and efficient – that will ensure a free, fair, equitable and just society for the people of Ogun State, and all those who have made our dear State their home.
10. Mr. President, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me to recount a story ascribed to Chief MKO Abiola – Late Dr. Rolihalahla Nelson Mandela, one-time President of free South Africa and one of Africa’s greatest – who dedicated his Pan African Broadcast Heritage Award to the memory of Late MKO Abiola. At the event, the Madiba was represented by the then President of South Africa, His Excellency, Thabo Mbeki. Mr. Mbeki recounted a story that MKO told him. Mr. Mbeki said Abiola told him a story of the black ants and he described how dangerous the black ant is. He said that MKO described the black ant as very small but one that could wreak much havoc if it had access to one’s clothing. He quoted MKO as saying that it was easier to take care of the black ant than to allow it to wreak havoc. In Nigeria today, no one will deny that our own black ant is corruption. Mr. President, no matter what the skeptics say, you are fighting Nigeria’s black ant. Let me therefore use this medium to enjoin all Nigerians, at home and in the diaspora, to join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari in the anti-corruption crusade so that we all kill corruption rather than allowing corruption to kill Nigeria.
11. Mr. President, let me assure you that the government and the good people of Ogun State are appreciative of your recognition of Late MKO Abiola. The fact that the award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) is reserved for only those who has served Nigeria at the highest level is a clear indication of your love for Ogun State. Mr. President, let me once again reassure you that the government and the people of Ogun State will continue to collaborate, support and cooperate with your Administration at the Federal level to ensure that the dividends of democracy and benefits of good governance get to the generality of the people of Nigeria. We are committed to giving priority to the people as the focus of our Administration. We will rekindle the hope of the people and reawaken their belief in their government That is the best memorial we could ever give MKO.
12. Mr. President, as I end this address, I cannot but express our appreciation. Once again, as a government and people. Let me say, we will always be grateful in words and in deeds at all the time.
13. I thank you all for listening, and God bless.
Prince Dapo Abiodun MFR
Governor of Ogun State, Nigeria
Tuesday, 30th June, 2018
Why Babangida’s Hilltop Home Became Nigeria’s Political “Mecca”.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s birthday visit to Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) in Minna (where he hailed the octogenarian as a patriotic leader committed to national unity) was more than a courtesy call. It was a reminder of a peculiar constant in Nigerian politics: the steady pilgrimage of power-seekers, bridge-builders and crisis-managers to the Hilltop mansion. Jonathan’s own words captured it bluntly: IBB’s residence “is like a Mecca of sorts” because of the former military president’s enduring relevance and perceived nation-first posture.
Babangida turned 84 on 17 August 2025. That alone invites reflection on a career that has shaped Nigeria’s political architecture for four decades; admired by some for audacious statecraft, condemned by others for controversies that still shadow the republic. Born on 17 August 1941 in Minna, he ruled as military president from 1985 to 1993, presiding over transformative and turbulent chapters: the relocation of the national capital to Abuja in 1991; the creation of political institutions for a long, complex transition; economic liberalisation that cut both ways; and the fateful annulment of the 12 June 1993 election. Each of these choices helps explain why the Hilltop remains a magnet for Nigerians who need counsel, cover or calibration.
A house built on influence; why the visits never stop.
Let’s start with the obvious: access. Nigeria’s political class prizes proximity to the men and women who can open doors, soften opposition, broker peace and read the hidden currents. In that calculus, IBB’s network is unmatched. He cultivated a reputation for “political engineering,” the reason the press christened him “Maradona” (for deft dribbling through complexity) and “Evil Genius” (for the strategic cunning his critics decried). Whether one embraces or rejects those labels, they reflect a reality: Babangida is still the place where many politicians go to test ideas, seek endorsements or secure introductions. Even the mainstream press has described him as a consultant of sorts to desperate or ambitious politicians, an uncomfortable description that nevertheless underlines his gravitational pull.
Though it isn’t only political tact that draws visitors; it’s statecraft with lasting fingerprints. Moving the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja in December 1991 was not a cosmetic relocation, it re-centred the federation and signaled a symbolic neutrality in a country fractured by regional suspicion. Abuja’s founding logic (GEOGRAPHIC CENTRALITY and ETHNIC NEUTRALITY) continues to stabilise the national imagination. This is part of the reason many leaders, across party lines, still defer to IBB: he didn’t just rule; he rearranged the map of power.
Then there’s the regional dimension. Under his watch, Nigeria led the creation and deployment of ECOMOG in 1990 to staunch Liberia’s bloody civil war, a bold move that announced Abuja as a regional security anchor. The intervention was imperfect, contested and costly, but it helped define West Africa’s collective security posture and Nigeria’s leadership brand. When neighboring states now face crises, the memory of that precedent still echoes in diplomatic corridors and Babangida’s counsel retains currency among those who remember how decisions were made.
Jonathan’s praise and the unity argument.
Jonathan’s tribute (stressing Babangida’s non-sectional outlook and commitment to unity) goes to the heart of the Hilltop mystique. For a multi-ethnic federation straining under distrust, figures who can speak across divides are prized. Jonathan’s point wasn’t nostalgia; it was a live assessment of a man many still call when Nigeria’s seams fray. That’s why the parade to Minna continues: the anxious, the ambitious and the statesmanlike alike seek an elder who can convene rivals and cool temperatures.
The unresolved shadow: June 12 and the ethics of influence.
No honest appraisal can skip the hardest chapter: the annulment of the 12 June 1993 election (judged widely as free and fair) was a rupture that delegitimised the transition and scarred Nigeria’s democratic journey. Political scientist Larry Diamond has repeatedly identified June 12 as a prime example of how authoritarian reversals corrode democratic legitimacy and public trust. His larger warning (“few developments are more destructive to the legitimacy of new democracies than blatant and pervasive political corruption”) captures the moral crater that followed the annulment and the years of drift that ensued. Those wounds are part of the Babangida legacy too and they complicate the reverence that a steady stream of visitors displays.
Max Siollun, a leading historian of Nigeria’s military era, has observed (provocatively) that the military’s “greatest contribution” to democracy may have been to rule “long and badly enough” that Nigerians lost appetite for soldiers in power. It’s a stinging line, yet it helps explain the paradox of IBB’s status: the same system he personified taught Nigeria costly lessons that hardened its democratic reflexes. Today’s generation visits the Hilltop not to revive militarism but to harvest hard-won insights about managing a fragile federation.
What sustains the pilgrimage.
1) Institutional memory: Nigeria’s politics often suffers amnesia. Babangida offers a living archive of security crises navigated, regional diplomacy attempted, volatile markets tempered and power-sharing experiments designed. Whether one applauds or condemns specific choices, the muscle memory of governing a complex federation is rare and urgently sought.
2) Convening power: In a season of polarisation, the ability to sit warring factions in the same room is not small capital. Babangida’s imprimatur remains a safe invitation card few refuse it, fewer ignore it. That convening power explains why movements, parties and would-be presidents keep filing up the long driveway. Recent delegations have explicitly cast their courtesy calls in the language of unity, loyalty and patriotism ahead of pivotal elections.
3) Signals to the base: Visiting Minna telegraphs seriousness to party structures and funders. It says: “I have sought counsel where history meets experience.” In Nigeria’s coded political theatre, that signal still matters. Outlets have reported for years that many aspirants treat the Hilltop as an obligatory stop an unflattering reality, perhaps, but a revealing one.
4) The man and the myth: The mansion itself, with its opulence and aura, has become a set piece in Nigeria’s story of power, admired by some, resented by others, but always discussed. The myth feeds the pilgrimage; the pilgrimage feeds the myth.
The balance sheet at 84.
To treat Babangida solely as a sage is to forget the costs of his era; to treat him only as a villain is to ignore the architecture that still holds parts of Nigeria together. Abuja’s relocation stands as a stabilising bet that paid off. ECOMOG, for all its flaws, seeded a habit of regional responsibility. Conversely, June 12 remains a national cautionary tale about elite manipulation, civilian marginalisation and the brittleness of transitions managed from above. These are not contradictory truths; they are the double helix of Babangida’s place in Nigerian memory.
Jonathan’s homage tried to distill the better angel of IBB’s record: MENTORSHIP, BRIDGE-BUILDING and a POSTURE that (at least in his telling) RESISTS SECTIONAL ISM. “That is why today, his house is like a Mecca of sorts,” he said, praying that the GENERAL continues to “mentor the younger ones.” Whether one agrees with the full sentiment, it accurately describes the lived politics of Nigeria today: Minna remains a checkpoint on the road to relevance.
The scholar’s verdict and a citizen’s challenge.
If Diamond warns about legitimacy and Siollun warns about the perils of soldier-politics, what should Nigerians demand from the Hilltop effect? Three things.
First, use influence to open space, not close it. Counsel should tilt toward rules, institutions and credible elections not kingmaking for its own sake. The lesson of 1993 is that subverting a valid vote haunts a nation for decades.
Second, mentor for unity, but insist on accountability. Unity cannot be a euphemism for silence. A truly patriotic elder statesman sets a high bar for conduct and condemns the shortcuts that tempt new actors in old ways. Diamond’s admonition on corruption is not an abstraction; it’s a roadmap for rebuilding trust.
Third, convert nostalgia into institutional memory. If Babangida’s house is a classroom, then Nigeria should capture, publish and debate its lessons in the open: on peace operations (what worked, what failed), on capital relocation (how to plan at scale), and on transitions (how not to repeat 1993). Only then does the pilgrimage serve the republic rather than personalities.
At 84, Ibrahim Babangida remains a paradox that Nigeria cannot ignore: a man whose legacy straddles NATION-BUILDING and NATION-BRUISING, whose doors remain open to those seeking power and those seeking peace. Jonathan’s visit (and his striking “Mecca” metaphor) reveals a simple, stubborn fact: in a country still searching for steady hands, the Hilltop’s shadow is long. The task before Nigeria is to ensure that the shadow points toward a brighter constitutional daybreak, where influence is finally subordinated to institutions and where mentorship hardens into norms that no single mansion can monopolise. That is the only pilgrimage worth making.
Ajadi Celebrates Juju Legend Femolancaster’s 50th Birthday in the UK
Nigerian Juju music legend, Otunba Femi Fadipe, popularly known as FemoLancaster, is being celebrated today in London as he clocks 50 years of age.
Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, a frontline politician and businessman, led tributes to the Ilesa-born maestro, describing him as a timeless cultural icon whose artistry has enriched both Nigeria and the world.
“FemoLancaster is not just a musician, he is a legend,” Ambassador Ajadi said in his birthday message. “For decades, his classical Juju sound has remained a reminder of the beauty of Yoruba heritage. Today, as he turns 50, I celebrate a cultural ambassador whose music bridges generations and continents.”
While FemoLancaster is highly dominant in Oyo State and across the South-West, his craft has also taken him beyond Nigeria’s borders.
FemoLancaster’s illustrious career has seen him thrill audiences across Nigeria and beyond, with performances in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, and other parts of the world. His dedication to Juju music has projected Yoruba traditional sounds to international stages, keeping alive the legacy of icons like King Sunny Ade and Chief Ebenezer Obey while infusing fresh energy for younger audiences
He further stressed the significance of honoring artistes who have remained faithful to indigenous music while taking it global. “In an era where modern sounds often overshadow tradition, FemoLancaster stands as a beacon of continuity and resilience. He has carried Yoruba Juju music into the global space with dignity, passion, and excellence,” he added.
The golden jubilee celebration in London has drawn fans, friends, and colleagues, who all describe FemoLancaster as a gifted artist whose contributions over decades have earned him a revered place in the pantheon of Nigerian music legends.
“As FemoLancaster marks this milestone,” Ajadi concluded, “I wish him many more years of good health, wisdom, and global recognition. May his music continue to echo across generations and continents.”
celebrity radar - gossips
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
By Aderounmu Kazeem Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria — The gospel music scene is aglow today as the “Duchess of Gospel Music,” Esther Igbekele, marks another milestone in her life, celebrating her birthday on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Known for her powerful voice, inspirational lyrics, and unwavering dedication to spreading the gospel through music, Esther Igbekele has become one of Nigeria’s most respected and beloved gospel artistes. Over the years, she has graced countless stages, released hit albums, and inspired audiences across the world with her uplifting songs.
Today’s celebration is expected to be a joyful blend of music, prayers, and heartfelt tributes from family, friends, fans, and fellow artistes. Sources close to the singer revealed that plans are in place for a special praise gathering in Lagos, where she will be joined by notable figures in the gospel industry, church leaders, and admirers from home and abroad.
Speaking ahead of the day, Igbekele expressed deep gratitude to God for His mercy and the opportunity to use her gift to touch lives. “Every birthday is a reminder of God’s faithfulness in my journey. I am thankful for life, for my fans, and for the privilege to keep ministering through music,” she said.
From her early beginnings in the Yoruba gospel music scene to her rise as a celebrated recording artiste with a unique fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds, Esther Igbekele’s career has been marked by consistency, excellence, and a strong message of hope.
As she adds another year today, her fans have flooded social media with messages of love, appreciation, and prayers — a testament to the profound impact she continues to make in the gospel music ministry.
For many, this birthday is not just a celebration of Esther Igbekele’s life, but also of the divine inspiration she brings to the Nigerian gospel music landscape.
-
society5 months agoRamadan Relief: Matawalle Distributes Over ₦1 Billion to Support 2.5 Million Zamfara Residents
-
Politics2 months agoNigeria Is Not His Estate: Wike’s 2,000‑Hectare Scandal Must Shake Us Awake
-
society4 months agoBroken Promises and Broken Backs: The ₦70,000 Minimum Wage Law and the Betrayal of Nigerian Workers
-
society3 months agoOGUN INVESTS OVER ₦2.25 BILLION TO BOOST AQUACULTURE
You must be logged in to post a comment Login