celebrity radar - gossips
I’ll follow Buhari and Akande into the jungle
I’ll follow Buhari and Akande into the jungle By Tunde Odesola
Akande– Only three reasons could make me follow Nigeria’s President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and his former victim, Chief Adebisi Abdulkareem Akande, into the jungle; not the President’s false claims on security, not the news that 3,125 persons were killed and 2,703 others were abducted in the North alone, in the last 11 months.
As a Lagos-born son of Osun parentage, I would rather say amen to the prayer of former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, who, in his sweaty moment at the Capitol, uttered this crucial prayer, ‘May our loyalties never be tested’, than embark on a test for friendship inside the jungle.
Except for the Sambisa Forest, however, I’m ready to freely embark, as an errand boy, on the journey to any of the countless jungles that make up Nigeria – whenever Sai Baba and Baba Akande decide to go on the test of their friendship.
It was a confident President Buhari, who during the inauguration of Baba Akande’s autobiography, My Participations, a few days ago in Lagos, said he was ready to follow the former governor of Osun State to the jungle blindfolded. But I wonder who between these two leaders would agree to walk in front while the other comes behind in the jungle; once bitten, twice shy is a cautionary adage.
Should Sai Baba and Baba Akande choose the Sambisa Forest as the rendezvous to test their cat-and-mouse friendship, I suggest they take along with them the truthful old man from Kwara State, Baba Lai Mohammed, who had repeatedly said without blinking that Boko Haram had been technically defeated.
The first reason why I would head to the jungle with the two babas, apologies to 2Baba, is that I’ve been star-struck ever since I met them personally.
Star-struck, I always missed my way inside the palatial abode of Baba Akande in Ila Orangun, a country house like Buckingham Palace, which prompted me to ask, Oluwa mi, eyi o wa po ju? Yes, I asked, is this palace not too gargantuan for an honest servant?
Just the same way I asked where General Buhari got all the foreign exchange with which he sent six of his children to foreign universities for first and postgraduate degrees. Nobody sends their six children to schools abroad with Nigerian Army pension. Nobody! No jobless son of an honest Army pensioner owns many multi-million naira grand prix motorbikes. None!
The second reason why I think I should be taken along on the proposed Buhari-Akande expedition is my inherited hunting skills – I come from a lineage of courageous hunters in Igbajo, a city built upon the hills in Osun State. Both elder statesmen would benefit from my youth and experience in the course of their journey in the forest of a thousand demo….
I not only hunt game, I hunt news, also. This is the third reason why I want to go on the expedition with my fathers. As a journalist, I’ll cover the odyssey of the two canny friends, bringing back accurate, balance and objective news, unlike what currently obtains at ministerial lying centres nationwide.
As a dutiful son, I would be glad to carry Baba Buhari and Baba Akande’s pouches, walking in front of them, clearing jungle paths with my machete, singing ijala ode (hunters’ songs), aiming at birds, and squirrels on iroko trees with my catapult. My fathers would walk leisurely behind me, at an elderly distance, making jest of the reactions that have trailed the great book.
I’m likely to hear, “Chief, those were satanic verses, walahi!”, and “No oo0, Your Excellency, that was a mere scratch on the surface. I’ll release a revised edition early next year.” Then I would hear, “Tunde, rin siwaju di e si (Tunde, move ahead a bit more)” And a whisper, “These children of nowadays are very smart, he may be listening.” And ‘gaskiya ni’ would complete the dialogue.
Baba Akande’s My Participations is unlike the book I just finished reading, A Story To Tell: Autobiography of The Alamu Man, written by retired veteran broadcaster, Smollet Adetoyese Shittu-Alamu, who recently clocked 70. Shittu-Alamu’s book is professional, Baba Akande’s book is political.
In his 378-page book dedicated to God, his parents, and humanity, the Osogbo-born Shittu-Alamu tells the compelling story of a life that was birthed, nurtured and schooled in Ghana, before bestriding Oyo and Osun broadcasting worlds with excellence.
Since the release of the bombshell autobiography, incumbent and former foes of Baba Akande have been walking on hot bricks. They’ve said so many unprintable things about the Asiwaju of Ila Orangun.
Some of the personalities that have reacted to the mudsling by Baba Akande include nonagenarian Chief Ayo Adebanjo, 76-year-old Chief Bode George, 70-year-old Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, calling the 82-year-old Akande a liar. A cross-section of Nigerians from all walks of life has also risen to condemn the Agba Akin of Oke Ila-Orangun.
At this juncture, I’ll defend the Balogun Aramoko Ekiti because we share something in common. Ila Orangun, Baba’s hometown, produces palm wine commercially. They drink it, too. For Ila sons and daughters, the palm wine is more potent than all vaccines combined. This is why they proudly say, “Ila o loogun, emu funfun loogun Ila;” meaning: Ila has no medicines, palm wine is Ila’s medicine.
Baba Akande and I are kindred spirits. The Jagunmolu Oodua of Ijebu-Ife knows my hometown, Igbajo, the Citadel of the Brave, whose forebears drank palm wine in bronze goblets, inheriting the sobriquet, Igbajo Iloro, omo alo agogo m’emu, which many mistaken to mean ‘an illustrious people who ring the bell before drinking palm wine’. No, nobody ever (lu agogo) rang the bell before drinking palm wine in Igbajo, we only (lo agogo) use bronze goblets to drink palm wine, like the warriors we are.
I’ll defend the Apesin of Ilashe-Ijesa, whose hometown is 12 kilometres away from mine. Baba Adebanjo challenged the Bashorun of Ilobu to name where he got the money with which he built the magnificent palace he lives in Ila. Which kain question bi dat? Baba Adebanjo should heed Bob Marley’s warning, “Who Jah bless, no one curse!” In his failed attempt to nail Baba Akande, Baba Adebanjo said the Asiwaju Ila has houses in Ila, Ibadan, Lagos and abroad, forgetting to name the five-floor highrise building Baba Akande built in the heart of Ila which is different from the palace he currently lives. Baba Adebanjo doesn’t even know Baba Akande’s late wife, mama Omowunmi, owned an exact replica of Baba Akande’s five-floor building also in Ila. Envy is blinding.
A lot of wailers have referred to page 252 of My Participations, where Baba Akande specifically said he DIDN’T HAVE the N250,000 fee for the governorship nomination form after he became the governorship nominee of the Alliance for Democracy in 1998, enviously wondering where he got the money to build the paradise in Ila after leaving office. Baba disclosed that Chief Iyiola Omisore provided the money for the form. Omisore should gratefully thank Baba for collecting the money from him, otherwise, stones would have risen to pay for the nomination form, eni olorun da, ko se f’ara we. One with God is a majority.
Oyinlola says he’ll respond to Baba Akande in his forthcoming autobiography; we’re waiting for him. A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, also says he’s writing a book that will put Akande in his place. We’re waiting for him, too. Ebora Owu and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom Baba Akande called a ‘faithless suitor’ an ‘unblinking political philanderer’, has maintained a disturbing silence. We know he’s planning to use the military tactics of surprise, but we shan’t be caught unawares.
Oh, my phone beeps; news updates stream in: “BREAKING: Bandits attack Kaduna villages, kill 20, raze houses, vehicles,” “DSS diverted our N4m monthly allowance, we fed ourselves, paid for water in detention –El-Zakzaky.”
Should I upset these rendezvousing leaders with this bad news? Or let the dead bury the dead? I’ll do what you expect.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @tunde odesola
Twitter: @tunde_odesola
TundeOdesola.com
celebrity radar - gossips
From Friendship to Tragedy: IBB Recounts Executing Childhood Friend Mamman Vatsa
From Friendship to Tragedy: IBB Recounts Executing Childhood Friend Mamman Vatsa
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
“When Loyalty Clashes with Duty; IBB Reflects on Betrayal, Heartbreak and the Heavy Burden of Leadership”
In his recently published autobiography, A Journey of Service, former Nigerian military ruler Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has opened up about the heart-wrenching decision to execute his childhood friend, General Mamman Vatsa, following a failed coup plot in 1986.
Released on February 20, 2025, Babangida’s memoir provides an unprecedented glimpse into the emotional struggle of balancing personal loyalty with national security. He recalls first hearing rumors of a coup allegedly involving Vatsa, which he initially dismissed as the result of jealousy or political rivalry. However, further investigations and consultations with senior officers (including Generals Nasko, Garba Duba, and Wushishi) uncovered evidence that Vatsa had provided funds to other officers to further the coup plan.
The plot, Babangida recounts, involved bombing Lagos’ Eko Bridge, disrupting Air Force operations, and targeting the presidential aircraft, actions that threatened the stability of the nation. Vatsa had attempted to explain his financial involvement as a contribution to a farming project, but Babangida said the evidence from covert investigations was undeniable.
Reflecting on his personal anguish, Babangida admitted, “I experienced a profound personal sense of betrayal. They had orchestrated a violent coup that threatened to shroud the nation in darkness. I faced an impossible choice: save a friend’s life or safeguard the future of my country.” Despite their shared youth and years of friendship in Minna, Babangida prioritized national stability over personal grief.
Vatsa’s execution in March 1986, alongside other coup plotters, left a deep personal void for Babangida, who described the loss as both “a personal tragedy” and a necessary step to protect Nigeria. He emphasized that the unity of the armed forces and the nation’s survival outweighed private sorrow, insisting that the rule of law and the demands of national security must take precedence over friendship.
The former military ruler also highlighted later attempts to politicize the incident, stating that some officers were displeased with Vatsa’s appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory due to lingering perceptions about past coups. Nonetheless, Babangida maintained he had always sought to honor their friendship, accommodating Vatsa’s personality and character wherever possible. “I stayed loyal to our friendship and went above and beyond to accommodate his excesses and boisterous behavior,” he wrote.
Scholars and historians reviewing Babangida’s account note that the execution of a childhood friend underscores the extraordinary pressures faced by leaders during periods of national crisis, highlighting the intersection of personal ethics and state responsibilities. Dr. Chukwuemeka Okeke, a Nigerian historian, commented, “IBB’s narrative shows the stark reality of leadership in times of upheaval. Personal relationships, even lifelong friendships, can be overshadowed by national imperatives.”
Babangida’s account provides a rare, candid exploration of the emotional burden borne by leaders forced to make life-and-death decisions. The memoir paints Vatsa not only as a friend but also as a symbol of the painful sacrifices that leadership demands, illustrating the complexities of governance in a nation fraught with political instability and internal dissent.
Ultimately, A Journey of Service chronicles a delicate balance: the tension between human attachment and the responsibility to safeguard a nation. The story of Vatsa’s execution is a stark reminder that the path of leadership is often laden with moral dilemmas and irrevocable decisions, where loyalty to country may exact the ultimate personal cost.
Babangida’s revelation adds a deeply human dimension to historical events that have long been analyzed in military and political textbooks, shedding light on the emotional and ethical struggles of one of Nigeria’s most influential military rulers.
Published on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
FACT CHECK: Viral “Trump Post” Blasting Tinubu Over Maiduguri Bombings is Fake
LAGOS — A viral image circulating on social media, purportedly showing a post by former U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been confirmed as false and digitally manipulated.
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The image, which appeared online late Monday, March 16, 2026, claimed to be a post from Trump’s Truth Social account reacting to a deadly wave of bombings in Maiduguri. While the attacks themselves are real, the alleged international rebuke is entirely fabricated.
Hoax Exposed
The fake post alleged that Trump described Nigeria’s situation as a “TOTAL DISASTER” and criticized Tinubu for being on a “State Visit” to the United Kingdom during a supposed “STATE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY.”
However, multiple inconsistencies quickly exposed the claim:
Timeline Discrepancy: The post referenced events occurring while Tinubu was already abroad. In reality, the President only departed Abuja for London on Tuesday, March 17—hours after the image began trending.
Design Errors: Analysts identified a suspicious “whitehouse.gov” button embedded in the image—an element not present on the Truth Social platform.
No Verifiable Source: A thorough review of Trump’s official social media accounts and global media reports shows no record of such a statement.
Tinubu’s UK Visit Continues
Despite the security situation at home, the Presidency has confirmed that Tinubu’s scheduled state visit to the United Kingdom will proceed.
The Nigerian leader is expected to be received by King Charles III at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, March 18. The visit marks a notable diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the UK.
The widely shared “Trump post” is a deliberate misinformation attempt, exploiting a real national tragedy to spread false political narratives. Authorities and media observers continue to urge the public to verify information before sharing.
TO MY BROTHER BOBBY DEE by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
For my brother Bobby Dee (Chief Dele Momodu) to compare President Tinubu to General Sani Abacha and claim that he is a dictator suggests that he is suffering from a degenerating and worrisome level of cognitive dissonance.
I love Dele and God knows I have immense respect for him but he sounded drained, tired and broken and spoke little sense yesterday in his interview with Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV.
May I humbly suggest to him to try and take a break from politics and political commentary for a while, get his breath back and attempt to overhaul his intellectual engine?
Not only was he uncharitable and disrespectful to the President, the Vice President, the Ministers, the Senators and the newly-appointed Ambassadors, many of whom have far more experience than him in governance and Government, on that programme but he also insulted the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people.
He and his associates in the ADC should focus more on trying to build up their depleted ranks and form a strong opposition that we can look forward to engaging in the field of battle for the 2027 election rather than continously obsesse and talk about what our President and our party is doing.
The ADC cannot even be described as a sinking ship but rather as a badly patched up inflatable plastic life boat that has not even managed to find its bearing or leave the harbour.
It has no engine, no sails, no oars, no captain, no crew, no navigational equipment, no muscle, no firepower, no war chest, no destination and worse of all it is made of rubber and not steel.
How can such an ill-prepared contraption even float let alone do battle?
It cannot possibly survive the rough seas and harsh winds of Nigerian politics because it lacks gravitas, focus, character, intelligence, discipline and strength.
It needs to be built up, better schooled, better trained, better equipped, better educated and better prepared before it can enter the field and before we can even begin to regard it as an opposition party.
Right now it can only be described as a haven and pitiful gathering of vacuous, shallow, intellectual frauds and political renegades who lack foresight and who have no direction.
The fact that they have failed to take off is not Tinubu’s fault, it is theirs.
The fact that political leaders and the Nigerian people are flocking to APC in droves is not only because our President and Vice President are doing well but also because they view the ADC as nothing but a collection of disingenious, desperate and recycled political losers, who are addicted to power, who offer no credible alternative to governance and who, like the three blind mice, are running around in circles, chasing each other’s long, mangy and wrinkled tails with no where to go.
Watching my brother Dele trying to speak for them is pitiful and is even more disconcerting than his assertion that Tinubu will regret his decisions and will be deserted by everyone around him.
The Bible says “who is he that sayeth a thing and it cometh to pass when the Lord God of Hosts has commanded it not?”
Dele should listen to the Holy Spirit instead of to the pagan murmurings, strange whispers, demonic divinations and conjuring projections of the Prophets of Baal and the Witch of Endor.
To be sure Tinubu started well, he is doing well and he will, by the grace of God, end well with no regrets in 2031.
Anything short of that is the counsel of the ungodly and the manifestation and delusions of a diseased and demonised mind.
I appeal to my brother Dele: leave the ranks of the forces of darkness and join us.
You are far too good for the company you are keep.
Your presence in the ranks of the ADC is like that of a gentle, beautiful, well bred, well fed and well manicured flamingo trapped in a sea of ugly, cruel, loud, angry, starving, cackling and relentless crows and vultures.
It does not befit you.
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the author of this essay) is an Ambassador Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a former Minister of Aviation, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Otunba of Joga Orile, the Aare Ajagunle of Otun Ekiti and a Legal Practioner)
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