I now come to the spurious allegation that by not voting for the then President Goodluck Jonathan during last year’s election, the Yoruba betrayed a fellow southerner and made power go to General Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner of the Fulani stock. It is an incredible accusation for anyone who was in the country from 2011 – 15 to make because the Yoruba only paid Jonathan in his own coin for the disdainful way he treated them after his re – election in 2011.
In that poll, Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won more than 70 percent of the votes in Yoruba land including defeating Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the candidate of the largely Yoruba – dominated Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), in two of the three states controlled by the party in the South – West. He won in Ekiti and Lagos States. It was only in Osun State where Governor Rauf Aregbesola kicked against the decision of the other leaders of the party, that Ribadu beat Jonathan by about 60 to 35 per cent.
Most of the ACN members and supporters in the PDP controlled Oyo and Ogun States and those of them in Ondo State which is under the government of the Labour Party also voted for Jonathan instead of Ribadu who for the shocking disgusting ad shameless way most Yoruba leaders in the ACN treated him rightly left the party to join the PDP.
That it was the votes of ACN members and supporters in Yoruba land that made the re – election of Jonathan possible in 2011 became evident last year. During the 2011 poll, Buhari had about 11 – 12 million votes, 95 percent of them from the North, while Jonathan won with over 14 million votes. But last year Buhari won the election with 15 million plus votes to Jonathan’s 12 million plus total.
Meaning that the three million plus votes that made Buhari defeat Jonathan came from the members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yoruba land, who belonged to the ACN before the merger of the party in 2014 with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and PDP dissidents.
Apart from the fact that Yoruba voters made Jonathan’s re – election possible in 2011, there is also the fact that it was the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Yoruba man, who hand-picked him as the running – mate of late Mr. Umaru Yar’Adua during the 2007 presidential election. In other words, he facilitated his becoming the Vice – President through the election he rigged for them. The position that made it possible for Jonathan to become president when his boss died on May 5, 2010.
But after the votes of the Yoruba facilitated his re – election in 2011, Jonathan turned his back to his South – West benefactors discriminating against them in non – cabinet appointments and giving them the chairmanship of the board of directors of less important Federal Government companies and agencies. After much effort by Yoruba leaders he had a meeting with them in 2012, but he did nothing to rectify the situation. In the circumstance, how can anyone in good conscience blame Yoruba people in non-PDP parties for not voting for Jonathan last year?
For 55 years, 1959 – 2014, mainstream Yoruba leaders kept their distance from the Hausa – Fulani chieftains, when Igbo and South – Southern leaders worked hand – in – hand with them. So, it was Jonathan who forced the people of the South – West to team up with Hausa and Fulani leaders last year. After teaching them the bitter lesson that once beaten one should be twice shy.
•Continues next week Wednesday
8 History – making Juju Bandleaders (4)
Of course, the pioneer trail – blazer was Tunde King who came up with juju music around 1930, formed the first band and introduced most of the instruments used in playing this brand of Yoruba melody. Dying in 1966 or so at 85, he is the only Nigerian musician till today who lived up to the octogenarian age group. Indeed, until 2008 when Idowu Animasawun, the Apola King, clocked 70, Tunde King remained the only Nigerian band leader who made it to the septuagenarian grade. Animasawun who will be 79 in February next year is followed by Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey at 74 and King Sunny Ade who was 70, forty – two days ago, on Thursday, September 22.
The second on the roll – call of distinguished juju bandleaders was Ayinde Bakare who played in King’s band until he left to form his own in 1935 and was the greatest influence in projecting juju music internationally until the 1980s when King Sunny Ade took it to greater heights globally. Whether juju or highlife music, Ayinde Bakare’s band was the first to play abroad when he was invited and participated in the first World Conference jamboree in London in 1956. The famous Ambrose Campbell of the highlife fame played the gong for him during the show.
Ayinde Bakare’s band was also the first to wax a record abroad when in 1957 he produced an album in London in honour of Chief Jaiye Kosoni (JK) Randle, the leader of the Nigerian contingent to the 1956 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia who died that year. Ayinde Bakare was also the one who introduced the talking drum, tambourine and agidigbo (African thumb piano) in juju music. And to date he is the only Nigerian bandleader, be it juju or highlife, who has produced up to three band boys who became star bandleaders on the national scene. These were Daniel Olayinka Akinola, Kayode Fasola and his son, Sina Abiodun Bakare, the leader of Ayinde Bakare Meranda band, which he formed in honour and memory of his dad. Ayinde Bakare is followed by General Prince Adekunle from whose stable emerged Segun Adewale and Sina Peters.
Ayinde Bakare went to glory on Sunday, October 1, 1972 at the age of 62 shortly after he finished performing in Onala in the Idumagbo area of Lagos Island.
More to follow next week