Fasehun, Adams bicker over Al-Mustapha

Posted by admin Latest Politics Wednesday, July 31st, 2013

BY DAPO AKINREFON

THE crisis rocking the Oodua Peoples’ Congress, OPC, deepened over the the weekend as founder of the group, Dr Frederick Fasehun and National Coordinator of the group, Otunba Gani Adams bickered over Fasehun’s recent hobnobbing with Major Hamza Al-Mustapha.

Fasehun’s faction had accused Adams of being sponsored to criticize him for accompanying Al-Mustapha to Kano after his release from prison. On the other hand, the Adams faction dismissed the allegation as laughable and asked Fasehun to name those sponsoring him.

Recall that former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel had brokered a peace treaty between the two OPC leaders but recent accusations and counter-accusations have opened up fresh wounds.

As a result of the peace deal, Fasehun was named spiritual head and founder of the group, while Adams was named national coordinator. While the peace treaty was in place, the two leaders were engaged in a cold war as each headed a faction of the organisation.

Aside, the recent acquittal of Major Al-Mustapha, who was standing trial over the alleged murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, by the Court of Appeal, has led to the opening of fresh wounds. Al-Mustapha, Chief Security Officer to ex-Head of State, General Sani Abacha, was in detention for 14 years.

Adams paid to criticise me —Fasehun
Fasehun said Adams’ sponsors were afraid of his acceptance in the North and the mileage it had given his newly formed party, the Unity Party of Nigeria.

In a statement by its National General Secretary and National Publicity Secretary, Messrs Dare Adesope and Sola Edward respectively, the faction warned Adams and others to stop endangering the peace of the Yoruba by casting aspersions on Fasehun. They said OPC was in support of Fasehun’s campaign for the release of Al-Mustapha.

They alleged that “we have the names of Gani’s sponsors and paymasters, and if trouble breaks out due to his violent utterances, they will not escape the wrath of Yoruba people. Adams is trying to get undeserved recognition and sympathy for himself, because he has been losing members in droves. It is better for him and his cohorts to stop disparaging Fasehun in the day and coming to prostrate before him at night. These self-appointed critics intentionally insinuate that Fasehun collected money from Al-Mustapha to support him.”

While they challenged Adams to conduct a survey among Yoruba dwellers in the North on Fasehun’s visit to Kano, they said the result would prove that by accompanying Al-Mustapha to Kano, he (Fasehun) had helped guarantee the safety of lives and property of Yoruba people in the North.

Faulting Adams’ criticism of Fasehun’s moves to resuscitate a Second Republic party founded by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the UPN, they said Adams and his paymasters were afraid that Fasehun’s visit to Kano had given the UPN a political mileage in the North.

Fasheun: UPN will give direction to the Southwest
Fasehun should name my sponsors — Adams
Adams, on his part, said OPC’s founder, Dr Fasehun, was on his own following his romance with Al-Mustapha. However, he denied allegations that he was sponsored to criticize Fasehun. Rising in defence of Adams, the OPC in a statement by General Secretary and publicity secretary, Messrs Tanimowo Babajide and Akeem Ologunro, described the allegation as laughable.

Laughable allegation
They accused the OPC founder of misrepresenting the group, maintaining that “there is no gain repeating the fact that Fasehun is misrepresenting the OPC and the Yoruba race in general. His claim that we are losing members in doves is indeed laughable. Let us state here that the truth of the matter is that true members of the OPC who are still loyal to the original cause of the group have left the Fasehun group to join our group, and many more have shown interest in joining us having realized Fasehun’s deceit. “I hereby throw an open challenge to Fasehun to join me on a walk on the street of any town in Yorubaland for a popularity test if he is truly sure of his acceptance.”

They said “we would, however, want him and his cohorts to stick to the subject matter rather than beat around it. Let him be reminded that Otunba Adams’ criticism was based on Fasehun’s unholy romance with Al-Mustapha, who was fingered in the alleged killing of late Kudirat Abiola, a Yoruba woman and wife of late MKO Abiola, the martyr of our democracy.”

Besides, they called on Fasehun to name those sponsoring the national coordinator. “With his threat to name the alleged sponsors of Otunba Adams, Fasehun would do well to come out and name the sponsors now or better still cover his face in shame and keep quiet. Unlike Fasehun, whose antecedents have proved beyond any doubt that he has always had a price tag that can be paid for any time by the highest bidder, Otunba Gani Adams has remained consistent with the dream behind the formation of the OPC, which was to fight for the rights of the Yoruba race and the right for self-determination.”

At this juncture, let us inform Fasehun that the same people who are paying his bills tried several times to enlist the support of Otunba Adams to support their cry for the release of their man, Al-Mustapha, but he rebuffed them on each occasion, remaining steadfast to upholding the Yoruba’s age-long logic. But it is now very clear that Fasehun knows little or nothing about this age-long practice.”

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