Former Governor of Old Oyo State, Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo has revealed how the newly elected South-West chairman of the People Democratic Party (PDP) Amb. Taofeek Arapaja once saved his life.
He said the former Deputy Governor facilitated how he escaped death few years ago during the tenure of Chief Audu Ogbeh as the National chairman of PDP.
The respected elder statesman revealed this when PMParrot visisted him on Wednesday on the anniversary of his 86th birthday at his Molete, Ibadan residence.
The former Governor who described Amb. Arapaja as an astute and efficient administrator who served twice as a Local Government chairman, Deputy Governor and an Ambassador to Jordan with excellent and enviable results stated that he is more qualified to emerge as a winner the the just concluded PDP congress.
Narrating how Amb. Arapaja saved him from being killed, he said “during Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala’s tenure as Governor of Oyo state, Senator Teslim Folarin was accused of assassinating one NURTW chairman, and I was the one who engineered how he was released. After Folarin’s release from prison, he was flown to Abuja by in a Presidential jet and I was pointed out as the man who masterminded his freedom.
“So, some people decided to deal with me. On the morning of the day they were to carry out the nefarious act, President Olusegun Obasanjo and I were in the midst of members of PDP in Abuja when I decided to come back to Ibadan. Information got to me that assailants had concluded plans to waylay me upon my arrival in Ibadan and I decided to board another airplane to Lagos in which I exchanged my Ibadan ticket with Amb. Arapaja – it was Arapaja who flew to Ibadan on my ticket and I bought another ticket to Lagos. On arrival, I sent for my driver to come pick me”.
The Ex-Gov stated that the singular move of giving out his ticket to Arapaja saved him from being killed because Ibadan airport has only one exit point and he was concerned about his safety.
“And I did not want to be ambushed just as they did for Alhaji Yekini Adeojo at the Bola Ige market in Ibadan before that time”.
The former Governor stated that he had the opportunity of reciprocating the kind gesture of Arapaja during the electioneering period in 2019 when some people wanted to kill the former Deputy Governor in his Kudeti home in Ibadan.
“When they decided to burn Arapaja’s house and assassinate him, I got across the Ex-Gov of Osun, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and we made a strong security arrangement to save Arapaja from being harmed.”
Olunloyo became emotional when he was asked to comment on Nigeria’s political situation.
He said “I do not want to talk about this country’s situation or the people in government. All I will say is that I am sorry for the generation of Nigerians coming after us”.
Packaged by Dare Raji
