Acting Leader of pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, on Thursday, urged the EFCC to go after former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu and former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande by probing how the latter allegedly came about acquiring his numerous multi-billion naira properties in various parts of the country, while also calling on the commission to investigate the APC national leader over his stupendous wealth.
Adebanjo made this call whilst dismissing the allegation made against him by Akande in his 559-page autobiography, titled ‘My Participations’, that Tinubu built his (Adebanjo) Lekki home, saying rather he built the house located at Plot 25, Ayo Adebanjo Close, Off Adebayo Doherty Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State by selling houses belonging to him in Surulere and Mushin and also took a bank loan to complete the house.
“It is alleged that Chief Bisi Akande’s building at Ila-Orangun, which I understand is more than double in the expanse of my house in Lekki and some other properties he has in Lagos and abroad were financed by Bola Tinubu.
“His house in Ibadan was also alleged to have been built by the contractor that built the secretariat in Osogbo when he was the governor of Osun State.
“I hereby challenge Chief Bisi Akande to clear the air by disclosing the source of financing these properties as I have done above.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the great philanthropist should also disclose the source of his wealth with which he bankrolled the elections of APC in the South-West and that of General Muhammad Buhari and his various properties in Lagos.
“He should also authorise the EFCC to verify such details as I have done above,” Adebanjo charged.
Denies Claims that Tinubu Funded His Lekki Home
It would be recalled that Chief Bisi Akande, who is also former interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, in his book, “My Participations,” had claimed that Adebanjo pestered Tinubu to build the Lekki house for him.
Chief Adebanjo clarified this position while speaking at his Lekki residence, saying he built his house from his resources and a loan he took from Guaranty Trust Bank.
According to the Afenifere leader, he financed the building through the sale of three of his properties in Surulere and Mushin areas of Lagos State.
The elder statesman added that when the burden of paying the loan he took from the bank was too much on him, he had to sell a portion of land Chief Obafemi Awolowo gave to him at Ibeju Lekki to offset the loan.
“There has been a lot of pressure on me not to react to Chief Bisi Akande’s tantrums, he is a neophyte, a beneficiary of a struggle he never took part in.
“I have been urged to keep to the adage not to ‘answer a fool lest you reduce yourself to his level’, but there is also an adage that says, ‘answer a fool lest he thinks he is wise’.
“A lot has been said in the press and the social media. But I owe a duty to myself and to put the record straight for posterity about the big lie that Bola Tinubu built my house in Lekki for me.
“I, therefore, deny the lie propagated by Akande, I wish to state categorically that my house at Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of three developed properties, loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given me by my late leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory,” he said.
Adebanjo said he decided to relocate from Surulere, where he was residing because of frequent attacks by armed robbers and his family no longer felt comfortable living in the environment, disclosed that his house in Lekki and a three-bedroom flat he built in his town, Isanya Ogbo were the only properties he had, urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to verify the above facts.
“The Lekki property, the house in my village, Isanya Ogbo which I built 40 years ago, and 3-bedroom flat in a townhouse, at Omorinre Street in Lekki are the properties I have in the whole world.
“I hereby authorise the EFCC to verify the above facts,” the elder statesman said.
Chief Adebanjo, while pointing out that he was not rich, but has integrity which he cherished, said he would have expected Tinubu to debunk the allegation made against him by Akande immediately because he knew better than him, but was disappointed he did not do that.
On whether he would drag Akande to court over the issue, Chief Adebanjo said he won’t do that, maintaining that all he needed to do was to debunk the allegation.
The elder statesman, who insisted that Akande was so junior to him politically, alleged that it was greed that made him say all that he said as he thought everybody was like him.