Tensions between former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose resurfaced on Monday after Fayose sent an inflammatory message accusing Obasanjo of belonging “in the zoo”.
The message, released to the media by Obasanjo’s spokesman Kehinde Akinyemi, was sent shortly after the former president attended Fayose’s 65th birthday ceremony. Rather than a routine note of gratitude, Fayose’s SMS launched into an attack on Obasanjo’s alleged remarks at the celebration.
“You went so low,” Fayose wrote. “Someone once said you are supposed to be kept away in the zoo… I kept quiet so that the world would know the difference between a sane and a mad man.”
He further alleged that Obasanjo was suffering from “dementia” and demanded the return of money he claimed to have previously given him, referencing the former president’s comment that Aliko Dangote had once had to escort him home.
Obasanjo issued a brief but pointed reply, stating that Fayose’s message “revealed who and what you are, unchanged and unchangeable.” He also said the alleged money had been returned “in the same bag as it came, unopened”.
The public exchange highlights the enduring animosity between the two political heavyweights, whose relationship has long been marked by acrimony and public confrontation.
