Details emerge why Ajimobi’s wife denied Oyo deputy gov access to husband’s 8th-day Fidau prayer

There was a mild drama on Sunday at the Oluyole, Ibadan residence of the former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, when the state deputy governor Rauf Olaniyan was denied access to the eighth-day fidau prayers holding in the compound.

The family had announced the fidau prayer as a private program, urging the public to watch through virtual channels including Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook.

Olaniyan arrived at the residence at about 11:20 am in a convoy of five vehicles. On getting to the gate of the road leading to Ajimobi’s residence, the convoy was stopped by policemen and members of other security agencies manning the gate.

They insisted that only the deputy governor’s vehicle could be allowed into the street to join the prayer.

The deputy governor’s security details initially rebuffed the idea but when their argument was degenerating, a senior policeman intervened and they eventually agreed that only the deputy governor’s vehicle should go in.

But on getting to Ajimobi’s house, the gate was also locked. The deputy governor’s aides introduced their principal but they were told that the gate had been locked and that Mrs. Ajimobi was in possession of the key. Olaniyan waited, believing that the issue would be sorted in no time.
After waiting for about 15 minutes, however, without any positive development, Olaniyan left the residence.

BUT media aide to the late Ajimobi, Mr Bolaji Tunji, in his reaction to the incident said the family was not aware that the deputy governor will be coming and that the Fidau prayer was strictly a family affair.