It was the super-influential Segun Agbaje, the GMD of GTCO, who told me in a private meeting never to take a position on a man you haven’t met.
If you have been following me on Mr Gbaja, as he is fondly called, you will see that I am always on the other side of the divide
In his recent ‘war ‘, if we can call it that, with his boy Desmond, I stood with Desmond; in his wahala with the fake DG, I stood away from him, to mention a few
Duke my paddy, I agree with you 90% of the time on your take on national issues, but the recent one you wrote on the MKO documentary, there was some aspect that I didn’t agree with
This was the Oga as he made his way to the beautiful couch in his British aristocratic-style living room
Mr Gbaja has been an influential figure since this republic started
An historic run at the House of Representatives culminating in the Speakership, making him the fourth-ranking and now a super influential Chief of Staff to what is turning into the most powerful Presidency in our history
Gbaja looked relaxed in a neat adire, or is it ankara, we call it, with his silver-grey beard shining through the dour Sunday morning sun and his glasses perched on his fine face; he cut the figure of a very healthy man
Tell me about Desmond – I was on his side and felt you should have left him
The explanation was long, and I’m not sure if I should divulge all, cos it wasn’t a formal interview, but it all could be summed up in desperation, impatience, disobedience, the need to maintain discipline and party cohesion
He ends by saying – well, he has recalibrated and has come back home, and I hope you too have seen reasons
Isn’t your present position a kind of demotion, seeing that you were once number 4? I fired
He thought very clearly and deeply and took his time, chose his words and spoke very deliberately
Edgar, I have attained the highest I can in my legislative career and also the highest I can in the Executive. God has blessed me…
So what’s your post-2027 plan – teach, travel the world and take a vacation, he shut back.
Oya, the fake DG. A lot of people, including myself, went for your jugular
Edgar, I have never met the man, don’t know him, don’t know of anyone who knows him and was as shocked when it blew up, and I started hearing my name
I was the one who first got him arrested, and then I heard he was out and continuing his activity.
… He even called a press conference on my birthday, and I don’t even know the man
People were calling for my resignation, and I am wondering, just like that?
Then why all the wahala around your office and your person, I asked
Maybe cos I am the first Politician to hold the post with friends and alliances all over the place
Asiwaju’s succession plan – I asked
One would have thought that younger guns like yourself, SANWO-OLU, Fashola, would be continually groomed so we don’t have the Awolowo – Jakande situation, I posited
By this time, he sat up, took a deep breath and called up all of his ancient wisdom to tackle the question
Asiwaju is a very wise man, and no one really knows how he is thinking; let me just say that, from what I know of him, he would eventually choose someone, and we would all think that person was chosen by the people
As he spoke, I could see the admiration and huge respect he has for his Asiwaju
His eyes shone, his face brightened, and he sat straight-backed as he spoke very fondly of his leader
Seyi Nko – I had been warned, Edgar, don’t go and yab Seyi before you meet Gbaja; he will run o
But you know me sha, I must ask, and he once again went into ancient wisdom mode
You can’t begrudge him for wanting his father’s re-election he enthused and slammed it shut by pulling the Trumps into the matter
Then it was his turn – tell me about the Coffee table book, he asked, and I went into the well-rehearsed drivel
As the meeting wound down, the words of Segun Agbaje came through again – never take a position on a man you have never met
My impressions?
This was a clean-looking, smart intellect who has garnered deep insights into power, comfortable in his skin and fulfilled in his contributions thus far
As I rush into my car under the now drizzling rain, something tells me that we may not have seen the last of Gbaja by the end of this tenure, as he professes
His sprite and agile bounce, plus deep entrenchment within the power vortex, put to lie his assertion that he would rush off to one grey classroom to teach
Teach what?
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: October 5, 2026
