A thread on Baba Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu
Alaafin Molete by @Olusegunverdict

"In a column I did in March 2012, I told the following three stories. They are among the many that define the essential Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu. The stories illustrate that Adedibu was as ruthless as

he was cunning. He was also mercantilist in his approach to politics. And he was a very generous man.

Scene One: With the party congress evidently going against plan, and sensing that his candidates might be defeated, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu put in motion Plan B.

He asked his men to disrupt proceedings by engineering a big scuffle. Following the stalemate, his supporters moved to his Molete residence. With everybody seated, Adedibu brought out the official result sheet for the congress he just disrupted and gave it to one of his men.

After dictating the scores which awarded victory to his candidates, Adedibu asked the ‘returning officer’ to tear the result sheet into two. While the man hesitated, Adedibu provided insight into his plan. He said he had already intimated the party headquarters that

when his opponents realised that his candidates had won, they disrupted the exercise and tore the result which he managed to retrieve. With the result now written according to Adedibu's instruction, the willy old man threw the ‘result sheet’ on the floor and marched on it.

Taking the rumpled paper, Adedibu said, "that way, our party leaders will believe that the result sheet was retrieved after a fight."
SceneTwo: Gathered in his hotel suite were most of the Oyo States delegates who would vote according to his dictates. This was Jos in March 1993

and Chief Lamidi Adedibu had led the contingent to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) National convention for the nomination of the party's presidential flag bearer. Adedibu told his faithful disciples that Chief M.K.O Abiola had approached him to offer money for the delegates, "

"but I told him that we are all Yoruba people and we not bastards who would vote because of money.

So, I assured him that we would offer our votes to him free of charge. But I have managed to get money from some of my friends which we will share.

It may not be so much but we will make do with it if only to prove to Abiola that we are men of honour who can vote without being paid." With that, Adedibu now brought out the money given by a prominent Northern aspirant and shared among his men.

The next morning, with the election done, Adedibu went to meet an exultant Abiola: "I told you that my philosophy is to work before I eat and that I will deliver the votes. Now, where is the money for my delegates?" It was with joy that Abiola concluded the deal he had

with Adedibu to pay after the votes had been cast. And the godfather went home, carrying the loot with him!

Scene Three: Informed of a big plot of land that had been lying fallow for years even after erecting foundation for a house, Adedibu asked that he be taken to the land on

which he met a big signpost with the inscription: "This land belongs to Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu. Trespassers beware". Even though he could not remember when he bought the land or how the foundation came about, Adedibu was not someone who would forgo such ‘Manna from heaven’.

Within days,he mobilised workers to the site.But shortly after construction work started,a young man came to see Adedibu.After the pleasantries,the man narrated his story.He said he bought the said land several yrs before but couldn't continue buildng due to financial difficulty.

Bcos of that, the land owners conspired with some area boys to take the land from him. When he realised their plot, he met them to say he had sold the land to Adedibu after which he erected the signpost. He added that from the moment the signpost was erected, the

landowners and area boys left him in peace. The man said since Adedibu had started building there was nothing he could do again but would appreciate if the old man would refund what he paid for the land. Adedibu told him to go and come back a month later.

Within the period, the house was completed. When the man came back, Adedibu handed to him the keys to the completed house and asked him to go.

End of thread. Many thanks @Olusegunverdict a maa ri yin ba o