A tense war of words has broken out between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, just days after Fayose’s 65th birthday celebration, exposing long-standing political animosities that many had hoped were finally being buried.
At his birthday event in Lagos, Fayose publicly welcomed Obasanjo, an occasion many saw as a rare opportunity for reconciliation. But during his speech, Obasanjo made what some interpreted as backhanded criticism, saying: “You are not the best of my political children … but you have made achievements that must not be ignored.”
Less than 48 hours later, Fayose fired back through a scathing private SMS made public by Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi. The message began with thanks for Obasanjo’s attendance, but quickly turned bitter. Fayose complained of the former president’s “very irresponsible comments,” accusing him of stooping low and calling him someone “who is supposed to be kept away in the zoo.”
In the SMS, Fayose went further, labelling Obasanjo “a mad man,” suggesting he had entered “the heightened stage of dementia.” He said he stayed silent during the birthday event intentionally, so “the world will know the difference between a sane man and a mad man.”
He also made a financial demand: Fayose insisted Obasanjo return money, alleging the former president had publicly confessed to having received funds, only for the billionaire Aliko Dangote to intervene to get them back to Fayose. 
Obasanjo responded to the message through his aide, confirming he had returned the money via Foluso Adeagbo, “in the same bag… unopened.”  He thanked Fayose for the note, but didn’t shy away from calling the text revelatory: according to him, it “undisguisedly revealed who and what you are … unchanged and unchangeable.” 
The clash once again exposes deep-rooted tensions between the two in a feud that dates back nearly two decades. Obasanjo reminded Fayose of how, in order to secure his attendance at the birthday party, Fayose had not approached him directly, instead sending emissaries like former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka and Foluso Adeagbo.
Obasanjo further recalled scolding Fayose and his wife, calling them “not Omoluwabi” — a Yoruba moral concept meaning people of integrity — during those reconciliation efforts. 
What looked like a peacemaking moment at a birthday party has reopened long-simmering animosities, raising questions about whether reconciliation between political heavyweights is ever truly possible. For both men, this is not just about personal respect but legacy: Fayose demanding recognition and restitution; Obasanjo demanding a measure of dignity.
Neither of them is getting what they truly desire, and the long-standing tension between both parties, which was put to the side for a moment, looks to have crossed a threshold where reconciliation looks not only unlikely but virtually impossible.
Samuel Aina