Let me also say, that I am personally touched by the advice given by a Nigerian who read the letter on the Nigeriaworld and who wrote me all the way from Lagos to offer a piece of advice. I know how much it might have cost you. I am equally touched by the comment of another Nigerian from The Hague who claimed to have read the letter in Nigeriamasterweb. I want all of you to know that your encouragement, support and prayers are my driving force.

All of you need to know what transpired in Ogun State as a result of the letter to Daniel. When I sent the letter to a colleague in Nigeria, I instructed him that the letter must be distributed to the media first, both electronics and print, and two days later, Daniel's letter should be mailed to him via UPS and with return receipt. The same day, Channels TV and some radio stations reported the letter, and the following day, ThisDay and Daily Times reported some of the contents of the letter. Thereafter, the PDP governor in Ogun State directed Niran Malaolu, his Commissioner for Information, to stop the publishing of the letter by carrying Ghana-must-go bags to settle editors in Lagos. Not knowing that I have instructed my colleague not to distribute the letter in Lagos alone, they did not think of distributing Ghana-must-go outside Lagos, and if they did, they would have failed in Tribune.

The Nigerian Tribune published the letter verbatim on Saturday, April 17, 2004. Suffice to say that I have not met the brilliant, extremely patriotic, bold and courageous Editor in my life. He just likes what I say, and he runs to town with it. On Sunday, April 18, 2004, Daniel conveyed the meeting of his cabinet to decide on the next course of action. There, it was decided that I should be ignored but to prevent anything that would expose their evil deeds in newspapers in the future, they should lodge a complaint against the Editor. On Monday, April 19, 2004, Daniel personally called the Editor to ask him if he knew the publishing of the letter could trigger a libel suit because of the prominence he gave my letter. The Editor simply told Daniel that if it is libelous then they should meet in Court. Daniel thereafter threatened the Editor and annoyingly hanged up. On realizing that the people of Ogun State were happy about the letter, the power of seat in Oke-Imosan became rattled and jittery. Thereafter, two Commissioners called the Editor to threaten him. On Tuesday, Daniel contacted the management of Tribune to ask the Editor to be relieved of his job. The management refused to yield to that demand. Meanwhile, my indefatigable leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN was contacted, and he readily agreed to defend Tribune and the Editor free of charge should Daniel go to Court. Chief Fawehinmi, SAN also told Tribune that there is absolutely nothing that is libelous in the letter.

On Wednesday, April 21, 2004, the governor led the Commissioner for Information, Niran Malaolu, and some said with two Kings to Mrs. H. I. D. Awolowo in Ikenne. They spent almost six hours telling Mama and Chief Oluwole Awolowo why they would not want to go to Court. They attributed their reason for the respect they have for the founder, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Chief Oluwole Awolowo simply told them to go to Court and they shall meet there. They then soft-pedaled and made the most ridiculous demand. They demanded that Tribune Editors should be instructed to check with their administration before publishing anything that is against their interest. At this juncture, Gbenga Daniel and his entourage were told that they have the right to issue a rejoinder, which they settled for with the demand that Tribune should give their rejoinder the same prominence as my letter was given. It is pertinent that at the meeting held on Monday at Oke-Imosan, they decided to go after me.

These details are requisite to alert the world of the kind of elected officials we have at the helm of affairs in Nigeria and to inform the world that we still have Nigerians that cannot be bought. I am eternally grateful to Mama, Mrs. H.I.D. Awolowo and Chief Oluwole Awolowo for their respect for freedom of speech and for their support of the Editor who objectively performed his duty. More importantly, I am very proud of Tribune Saturday Editor, Mr. Sunday Olajide who is extremely principled and whom I have never met in my life but put his livelihood on the line for the sake of the masses.

Under pressure from our leaders, fans, friends, and the members of NCP worldwide, I am releasing the letter written in defense of the truth when Chief Olusegun Osoba, the former governor of Ogun State, harassed Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the current governor of the State during the 2003 elections. Then Daniel was full of appreciation to me, because the letter was written in the heat of our campaign in 2003 and published in many newspapers. The letter also doused the tension in Ogun State. Daniel's team comprising of Nigerian police force, with the backing of the Federal Government was able to arrest the policemen that Osoba was using to black paint his bill boards at 2am. Today, Daniel in Osoba's position is getting worse and cannot stomach opposing views. This is the kind of politics the black people in that part of the world play. The entire text of Daniel's rejoinder will be made available to me soon and it shall be responded to. Enjoy reading.

Friday, February 21, 2003

Chief Olusegun Osoba
The Executive Governor of Ogun State
Oke Imosan
Abeokuta, Ogun State

Dear Mr. Governor:

Re: The defaced billboards of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Gubernatorial Candidate, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and other unlawful acts in the State.

On behalf of the members of our great party and the citizens of this country, please accept my sympathy for those who died on the death-trap roads, while going to celebrate with you at a coronation ceremony in Ilaro. As a profoundly patriotic indigene of Ogun State, I have passionately painful reasons to write this letter to you. I sincerely hope that the contents of the letter would be digested and necessary positive actions would be taken.

The defacing of Otunba Gbenga Daniel's (PDP) billboards

My attention has been drawn to the deplorable and disgusting act of black painting the billboards of the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Otunba Gbenga Daniel both in Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode by the thugs of your party, the Alliance for Democracy (AD). The state leaders of our Party and I have visited some of the locations where the billboards are erected, and it is evident from what we witnessed that those who were responsible for this barbaric act took their time to climb more than 50 poles, spent all the time requisite to deface Otunba Daniel's (PDP) pictures and name in a humiliating manner. We are aware that you have created a squad team called the Oke-Agbo boys to deal ruthlessly with your opponents. Thus, one can confidently say that your government aided and encouraged this barbaric act, which begs the following questions and which we believe you should ask if you care about the state and the people you govern:

1.  Where were the police when your party (AD) thugs were putting the law into their own hands by destroying the billboards of a fellow candidate from an opposition political party (PDP) thereby threatening the peace and stability of the State? 2.  If some people could climb poles, took their time to destroy these billboards, how sound is the security of the state?

3.  Couldn't these malefactors who wickedly engaged in this unlawful act plant weapon on poles or somewhere else in the State to murder your political opponents with innocent citizens becoming casualties? 4.  Are you not in power to make Ogun State, a State where all and sundry, including your own children, would be able to live comfortably without fear of insecurity of lives and properties and if this happened in the State that you govern who is safe?

Firstly, section 176 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (the Constitution) that you swore under oath to uphold states:

As the CE Mr. Governor, if you have not asked the above questions and have not summoned the State Police Commissioner to explain how this could happen, you have definitely failed to discharge your constitutional responsibility to ensure that every citizen in Ogun State is safe and every property is secured.

Section 211 subsection 1 (a) of the Constitution states:

Section 211 subsection 3 further states:

Where the Attorney General fails to discharge his constitutional duty to work with the police, you as the Governor who appointed him, assuming that you knew nothing about the incident should have ordered an investigation. Has your appointed Attorney General attempted to act in cooperation with the Police Commissioner to investigate this matter with a view to instituting and undertaking criminal proceeding against the people who committed this act? If the answer to this question is not positive, then your government has once again failed the people of the State. Of course, you are not new to the governance of the state. Curiously, you were an elected "Governor of Ogun State" under the military dictatorship of the infamous General Ibrahim Babangida. It is sad to note that you refuse to shed the military culture of engaging in state terrorism and violating citizen's rights, particularly Ogun State indigenes.

Secondly, I have been informed that Otunba Daniel, (PDP) paid the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC), some amount of money for advertisement. According to reliable resources, the money paid by Otunba Daniel (PDP) was returned in obedience to orders from you. The radio station is owned by the State, and not by the Current Executive Governor of the State. This illegal and unscrupulous action therefore is unequivocally condemned and it again shows that you are in government for your own interest alone. While you have impoverished the people of this state, it has been demonstrated that you are not willing and ready to allow anyone to abolish their poverty and get the impoverished people out of the shackles of want, disease and squalor. Please be advised that the State is not synonymous to Osoba. Your attention is drawn to Sections 39 and 42 of the Constitution (Right to freedom of expression and the press and Right to freedom from discrimination) respectively.

Demolition of shops owned by Chief Mufutau Kehinde in Kuto, Abeokuta

I am equally aware of the demolition of a building containing 20 shops owned by a businessman in the State. On September 29th 1998, a letter signed by J. O. Ewuosho on behalf of the Sole Administrator of Abeokuta South Local Government (ASLG) was written to Chief Mufutau Kehinde to approve his application for the renovation of the "Commuter Shed at Kuto." Chief Kehinde was issued receipt number 989446 dated October 21, 1998 for the payment of N5,000 being part payment of allocation of reconstruction of shed at Kuto Motor Park by the local government. On November 17, 1998, he was issued another receipt by the same local government for N19,000 being "the balance of allocation of reconstruction of shed at Kuto…" On February 27, 2002, he was again issued receipt number 160672 for N21,600 for the same reason mentioned above. He borrowed Twenty million Naira and completed the renovation in December 2002, rented the shops out to some traders who were barely surviving in the store and feeding their family members with the little gain, if any, accruing to them. The Ministry of Works and Housing under your purview ordered the 20 shops razed down in a letter written to Chief Kehinde on January 16, 2003. According to a newspaper report, Chief Kehinde in company of Abeokuta high Chiefs begged you in your office not to demolish the shops and your response according to Chief Kehinde was that you heard that "he (Chief Kehinde) is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) man." Thus, you violated a citizen's right as accorded by Section 40 of the Constitution (Right to peaceful assembly and association.)

I am not sure, Mr. Governor, if you ever pause to assess the impact of your destructive action on the economy of the State since the citizen involved borrowed Twenty million Naira from Cooperative Society Olorunsogo CTCS Ijemo, Abeokuta. One, it may take some time for Chief Kehinde to repay the loan to the Society, if at all he would be able to pay. Your action thus has brought sadness, sorrow and tears to the members of the family of those who owned the money and those who approved the loan. Two, Mr. Governor, your action has further made a citizen destitute with undetermined multiplier effect on the members of his family. Patriotism demands that we must at all times promote the welfare and prosperity of our people. You, as the Governor, are destroying the welfare and prosperity of our people. You scheme to make the majority poor so you can continue to lord yourself over the poor masses. Three, since Nigerian Governors including the President, love to chase shadows called "foreign investors," which foreign investor will come to Ogun State when your own indigene is being totally destroyed because he belongs to a political party different from yours?

In an interview that has been repeated for more than 5 times and will still be repeated because of your continued monopoly of the state owned media in violation of the Constitution, you said in Yoruba "a fi ti nwon ba fo ori yi, ni nwon to le mo bi mo se n'se ijoba" ("they would have to scatter my brain before they could discern how I govern"). Is this what is in the brain- to destroy, to intimidate, to cow, and to plant yourself in power by all means necessary? Mr. Governor, you are forewarned that peace is not just a negative state which notionally and automatically exists when strife or hostility ceases. No sir, this is not peace. Peace is a positive state of quite, tranquility, equilibrium and social harmony.

While our party denounces the violence by the state government against citizen Gbenga Daniel, we equally condemn individual terrorism. To this extent, we condemn the setting up of Oke-Agbo boys by you and "Aso Rock" thugs by Gbenga Daniel (PDP). It is sad that your children are not among any of these thugs. You as the Governor impoverish the governed, and then engage their children as thugs. Both of you are advised that we can only secure peace when social justice, which is the only fountain of social harmony, reigns supreme in our land. Violence is an infernal and satanic business. Please desist from it.

As a fellow gubernatorial candidate on the platform of NCP, I urge you to please engage in fair play. Don't see the State as your property that must be presided over only by you and you alone to avoid the burning anger of God. Take note that whatever happens to any of our members and leaders in the State will be squarely placed on your shoulders with dire legal consequences.

With the kindest regards.

Sincerely,

Lanre Banjo

cc: Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, SAM, Chairman and Presidential Candidate
     Nigerian and International Press
     Ogun State leaders of NCP
     The Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly
     All the Governorship Candidates in Ogun State
     Royal Fathers in Ogun State
     Human Rights Organizations
     State Security Services
     The Commissioner, Ogun State Police Command
     The Inspector General of Police