Ace broadcaster Kikelomo Atanda-Owo Abati has taken a swipe at former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose over his post-birthday remarks and the now-viral confrontation with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Fayose had on Monday criticized Obasanjo following the 89-year-old ex-president’s comments during his 65th birthday celebrations in Lagos, describing the remarks as irresponsible and saying Obasanjo belongs in a zoo.
Speaking on her weekly Silverbird Television programme, Real Talk With Kike, Abati noted that while the long-standing rift between Fayose and Obasanjo is widely known, the former governor’s 65th birthday should not have been turned into a fresh political battlefield.
According to her, such milestone celebrations are meant for love, reflection, gratitude, and appreciation, not for political tension or ego-driven posturing.
She criticized Fayose for what she described as a “guest-list for clout,” questioning why a man fully aware of his strained relationship with Obasanjo would engineer a reunion neither side was emotionally or psychologically prepared for.
“A 65th birthday is not the platform for forced reconciliation between political foes, especially when both parties have shown time and again that their relationship is fractured beyond a casual handshake,” Abati said.
Abati further stressed that instead of attempting to revive a long-dead political friendship for the cameras, Fayose should have focused on healing closer-to-home wounds.
She highlighted the absence of the former governor’s mother and siblings, who reportedly stayed away due to internal family disputes, a rift she believes deserved more attention than any political spectacle.
She also called on former President Obasanjo to show restraint, noting, “Chief Obasanjo is older and should have set the tone for maturity. When elders act without tact, it sends the wrong message to the younger generation.”
“Fayose should have prioritized humility and family reconciliation on his special day, while Obasanjo, given his age and national stature, should have handled the situation with more emotional intelligence,” she said