Afe Babalola at a crossroads!

A galaxy of traditional rulers moved in large numbers to the domain of Chief Afe Babalola at Ado Ekiti to lend the majesty of their thrones to resolving the imbroglio he has with activist Dele Farotimi. There has been pressure from several quarters on Chief Babalola, among whom leading lights of the land, to withdraw the criminal defamation case he has filed against Farotimi.

Among the eminent men with intimidating presence to get the chief to close the case file were former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bishop Matthew Kukah and Peter Obi, former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party flagbearer in the last Presidential election.

Because of his chummy relationship with these, Babalola could look them in the face and say No, and he did say ‘No,’ he was going to pursue the case to the end. But hardly could he have looked at the gathering of the traditional rulers and refused to shift ground. The traditional rulers were led by the head of traditional rulers in the South West, the Arole Oodua, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi.

Such array collection of traditional rulers intervening in a dispute in court is unprecedented. In my contemplation, I hinge the motivation for the intervention on the wise sayings of elders that they are that Eegun Alapinni jade, o m’ore dani, igbati ko m’ore lowo, ta lo to duro de e! Roughly translated, it says: The masquerade of head priest Alapinni comes out bearing a cane in its hands; when it is without a cudgel, who can dare wait for it!

This is an allusion to the professional standing of Babalola as a legal luminary and an intimidating embodiment of law. How dare anyone go to court to challenge such a towering person! I also asked myself: Could Chief Babalola’s have changed his mind sensing himself coming to a certain harm pursuing the case to what may be considered a logical conclusion! Agbalagba t’o nle oromodie yio f’ekun bo! An elderly man who runs after chicks on the compound will eventually bruise his knees! In other words, given the class of Farotimi and his combustible circle and their fastidiousness, unremorseful posture, is the court battle worth it?

We may not immediately know what went behind closed doors in the meeting the traditional rulers had with Babalola. Has Farotimi repented, for example? Is he remorseful? Did the traditional rulers extract an apology from him or there was a pledged one from him? Even if he does apologise, how does that cure the purported damage complained was done to his illustrious name? How is the stain thrown at his immaculate white raiment washed clean for the sake of his chain of great grandchildren in the future? How is his effulgent dignity restored as the ‘damage’ to it he complains about is permanently in printed book and several copies have been circulated round the world through Amazon?

All the while, pleadings to Chief had been focused on him throwing his complaints out of the window, but not on the reputational harm the publication may have done to his standing. The elders are wiser and they see far, it is to be hoped.

Chief Babalola has demonstrated large-heartedness of a community leader, an international figure who is being courted for speaking engagements in foreign lands, and an elder statesman. We keep our fingers crossed.