DON’T MAKE POLITICAL CAPITAL OF FAMILY FEUD
“There are cases l don’t take. There was the case of a daughter against her mother over the ownership of property left by the father. When the lady came to me, promising to pay whatever l charged, l said no. We rejected the brief. It is not natural for a daughter to take her mother to court. In such cases, we invite both parties and settle the matter for them.”
– Gani Fawehinmi in my book – GANI IN HIS WORDS:Quotables of Gani Fawehinmi, pp 93 – 94.
When Mrs Aisha Buhari was criticising her husband’s administration and party, l found it strange because l felt something wasn’t quite right. I didn’t feast on it.
I have adopted the same position in respect of the political choices of Obasanjo’s son and Doyin Okupe’s son, who have decided to support a candidate their father loathe. They are adults and so should be free to make their political choices. Even in the second Republic, there were cases where some spouses (who have no marital issues) belong to different political parties. When Senator Ojudu had political issues with his daughter, Moremi and became a public roforofo fight and some people wanted to feast on it, l kicked against it. Thank God father and daughter are back together.
However, for political reasons, celebrating and eulogising children who make different political choices out of feud with their fathers, to me, may not be proper. However, l cannot impose my values or position on any other person. Everyone is free to hold their own opinion.
You don’t know the choices your children would make in the future, maybe 10, 20 years from now, that would shatter your heart, particularly when outsiders support your children against you. And it doesn’t have to be political matter.
Hence, l am very circumspect in joining the fray. May God guide us right.
