The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has issued a caution against what he perceives as deliberate attempts by certain individuals to tarnish his reputation, emphasizing that his quietude should not be misconstrued as timidity.
In addressing the uproar sparked by an audio recording, Adams expressed his readiness to clarify the uncertainties surrounding the alleged defamation portrayed in the clips, which he described as “fabricated, misrepresented, and fragmented.”
Yoruba Nation advocate, Sunday Adeyemo, commonly known as Sunday Igboho, and the Chief of Staff to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, have both issued threats to take legal action against Gani Adams, for allegedly accusing them of plotting an assassination.
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In separate pre-action letters sent by their legal representatives, Igboho and Ayinde demanded that Adams retract the assassination allegation made against them, warning of impending court action if he fails to do so.
In a pre-action letter dated March 20, 2024, Ayinde, through his lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), raised concerns about a circulating note where Adams purportedly made accusations in Yoruba language linking Igboho and Ayinde to nefarious activities.
Adams, however, in a statement released on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, dismissed the voice note as distorted. He labeled the threats of legal action by Igboho and Ayinde as part of “a grand conspiracy” to tarnish his reputation, affirming his readiness to defend his integrity and the office he represents.
In a rejoinder to Olumide-Fusika’s pre-action letter, dated Monday, Adams’ legal representatives, Oluwole Kehinde and Rosemary Thompson, denied the contents and implications drawn from Ayinde’s lawyer’s audio clip.
The letter partly read, “Firstly, our client denies the content and inferences drawn by you in your letter under reference regarding the alleged audio clip you attributed to our client. As stated in your letter, the content of the alleged video clip, which is a concocted, distorted, and disjointed part of a private conversation between our client and another person in 2021, was published and widely circulated by one Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Alias ‘Sunday Ighoho’) and not our client.”
It also said, “Furthermore, it is obvious from the alleged defamatory remarks that our client mentioned that it was a ‘rumoured and unconfirmed information that he found difficult to believe’ and could not be shared publicly. Thus, there is no element of malice on the part of our client pertaining to the alleged statement attributed to him in the said video clip.”
Adams was further quoted in the statement by his media aide as saying “The reason for my silence in the midst of the various legal and media infractions by Igboho and Ayinde, was not because I am a coward, but because of the initial interventions of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, other prominent Obas and several other important personalities in Yorubaland.
“But with the ongoing lies and aspersions against my person, I think it is time for me to come out open and set the record straight.
“Though my legal team has done what was required of them, I need to state clearly that the audio clip generating the squabbles was a distorted and disjointed content of a private conversation which held way back in 2021 with a US-based younger brother of a friend.
“The conversation was initiated by the young man who claimed he wanted a reconciliation between myself, Igboho and some other people.
“It was while responding on reasons for reconciliation at the time that he mentioned the names of the two people.”
Adams noted that in the circulating audio, he said it repeatedly that though it was very difficult to believe, there was an unconfirmed rumour allegedly linking Igboho to the murder of the late Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.
“My statement was not done in bad faith and it was purely a private conversation,” he added.
He stressed that “However, on the issue of my brother, Tayo Ayinde, let me make it clear here that I repeatedly said that whatever was said was a rumour that couldn’t be substantiated or made public.”
