Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has revealed that he came close to striking former President Olusegun Obasanjo with a microphone during his 65th birthday celebration, following what he described as a long, provocative speech filled with veiled attacks.
Speaking about the incident, Fayose said the tension arose despite his earlier efforts to reconcile with political opponents—a move that included facilitating Obasanjo’s trip to the event with $20,000.
According to him, Obasanjo arrived with a list of conditions. “He insisted he must speak last, and that I must stand beside him while he talked,” Fayose recalled. The former president then reportedly spoke for one hour and fourteen minutes, taking subtle jabs at Fayose throughout.
“At a point, I contemplated hitting him with the microphone,” Fayose confessed. “But I restrained myself because the Vice President was present, and I had grown beyond such reactions.”
Fayose added that Obasanjo’s remarks—particularly describing him as “not the best of my political sons”—were hurtful and unnecessary, especially at an event intended to symbolize peace.
The episode underscores the unpredictable drama often embedded in Nigeria’s political reconciliations, where even birthday celebrations can become arenas of rivalry, pride, and unresolved grudges.
