‘How Ooni brokered deal with Babalola to pardon Farotimi’

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan, on Sunday, visited the founder of the Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola SAN, to persuade him to drop the criminal defamation case filed against a human right lawyer and author, Dele Farotimi.

Before Ooni arrived at about 9:00 pm on Sunday from Ile ife, the Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro, led other first-class monarchs to meet with Babalola behind closed doors for three hours, while waiting for Oba Ogunwusi.

While appealing to the legal icon at an expanded meeting, Ooni said the traditional rulers came to discuss an issue that is germane to them.

“And lo and behold, the gentleman we are talking about here is your son. He is a Yoruba man too. Dele Farotimi. But we are looking beyond his case. Baba Afe Babalola nobody can tarnish your name,” Ooni said.

“The meaning of omoluabi is a gentleman. Baba you have seen it all. On behalf of the traditional rulers, some of whom have been on the throne for 40 years, 30 years, the throne we all came from is not a matter of age. It is the throne of Oduduwa, there is nobody who doesn’t have a link to it.

“A child will respect their parents, the parents will respect the elders, the elders will respect the king and the king will respect ancestors and God who is the King of kings, that is the structure of we Yoruba.

“On behalf of all the traditional rulers of the Yoruba race, a single largest ethnic race in the world, you have made strong history for us today as a race. You have done so much for this nation and greatness is not far from your name.”

READ ALSO: Defamation: Babalola drops charges against Farotimi after Ooni, Ewi, other monarchs’ plea

Oba Ogunwusi, therefore, urged Babalola to drop the case in the interest of the Yoruba race that the monarchs represent and for posterity.

Responding to the monarchs, Afe Babalola said Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bishop Matthew Kuhah, and countless people within and outside Nigeria have sent messages but he said no to them.

“Obasanjo came here I said no, Kukah came I said no but on this occasion, I said yes,” Babalola said.

“Why are they here, there here to appeal to me over a criminal charge by somebody who said I was corrupt? I am the lawyer who defended the EFCC law. Yet I am corrupt. I am the same person who was given an oil block, when I looked at the amount involved I rejected it. Twice I was invited to be a minister, and twice I rejected it.

“Look at my book, I was the chairman of Transparency International based in Germany. That was why I rejected every appeal to take the case out of court. He attacked Supreme Court judges using unspeakable language, they are not bothered but I am bothered because of how I started life from the farm to where I am without secondary education.

“When I heard that Ooni was coming and the Obas were waiting for him, there is nothing I am going to gain by his imprisonment or from any so-called damages. The only time I am happy is when I give.”