Adewale Ayuba was NEVER beaten Up In Ibadan

I write to react to the story captioned "Adewale Ayuba Beaten-up For Arriving Late At Performance Venue" which was carried by Osun Defender and other Nigeria blogs and online media.I write to put the record straight because I was a witness to the whole "drama".
The occasion was the Final Burial ceremony of Pa Olatubosun Makinde of Aigbofa Compound Oja Oba Ibadan, who slept in the Lord on 6th July, 2012. Pa Makinde was the father of Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, the GMD of Makon Engineering and Technical Services and a PDP chieftain in Oyo State.After the burial service at the Cathedral of St. Peters, Aremo, Ibadan on Friday, 26th October, 2012, the reception was fixed for 2:00pm at the Ibadan Recreation Club, Sabo. Gbenga Adeyinka D 1st was engaged as the compere of the day while Adewale Ayuba was the billed to take the stage as the musician.
By 2:45pm, Gbenga had mounted the stage dishing out one joke after the other to the delight of the invited guests, including the former governor of Oyo state, Chief Rashid Ladoja, and the political big wigs of PDP extradition in Oyo State.As in any Yoruba "owanbe", everyone expected Ayuba to mount the stage immediately after Adeyinka's performance. This was not the case! Instead, we continued to be treated to the announcement that: Ayuba was on the way.
Around 4:00pm when there seemed to be no sign of Ayuba, one of his band boys mounted the stage so as to fill the vacuum. Perhaps, that was the last straw that broke the camel's back. The guy did not only sing out of tune, he had one of the "baddest" voice in the world and his mastery of Ayuba song was next to nothing!After singing for about 30minutes, the "boys" could take it no longer. They surged forward, chased them out of the stage and threatened to destroy their instruments should they sing again. During all these melee, Gbenga Adeyinka was going around appealing to everyone who cared to listen. He was always working his phone, briefing Ayuba of the developments.
It will be appropriate to state here that while the boys were chasing away Ayuba's boys, one of the mobile policemen in mufti was manhandled. That was the mistake of the "boys" as the mobile policemen descended  on some of them to avenge the treatment meted on their colleague.At the end of the day, common sense took over and the two aggrieved parties (Area Boys and MOPOLS) buried the hatchet.
A local musician was later brought to hold forth for Ayuba. While I would like to admit here that the boy was indeed good and tried to impress the celebrants and the invited guests, nobody was ready to listen to him: all they wanted was Ayuba.At about 5:45pm, the most wanted arrived!
I had expected Ayuba to go straight to the celebrants, explain to them why he was late and apologised. Ayuba had a different approach! HE just mounted the stage and start his hello tue, hello tue.

To say I was disappointed will be an understatement. The "boys" also got infuriated. They demanded that he come down from the stage to come and and prostrate for coming late. Some of the boys surged forward to attack him but they were over-powered by  the Mopols who shielded him (Ayuba) and led him to the celebrants.

He explained to Engr. Seyi MAkinde, the host, about the Fuel Tanker Accident at Berger, retriating that he had to go through Abeokuta before he could make it to Ibadan. He thereafter removed his cap, bend down for the host, who later hugged him and told him to start the show.
Even though I was not the celebrant, I was highly disappointed by Ayuba's management of the 'crisis'. There were even insinuations that he might be coming from another performance. While I would not like to comment of this, I felt our celebrities need to respect the clients' right in this part of the world.During my conversation with Gbenga Adeyinka, I forgot to ask him how he was able to make it. If Adeyinka could make it, I do not see while Ayuba could not! Considering the amount they charge, I see nothing out of this world, in him getting to Ibadan on Thursday evening and passing the night there, that is if he has no other engagement.
I am also of the belief that Ayuba did not leave Lagos on time that day!. I was a victim of the same circumstance. I left Lagos around 9:00am. When I got to Otedola Estate and saw the hold-up, I made a u-turn and headed for Ikorodu axis. Even though the road was longer and very bad, I was able to make it to Ibadan after five hours. Most importantly, I could not imagine that a whole Ayuba will not have a band boy who would not only be able to sing but also sing Ayuba's song (as if he is the one. That guy that was holding forth for him was a no singer. Pure and Simple.
Permit me to end this tale-by-moonlight by commending  Gbenga Adeyinka d 1st for the matured way he managed the situation. He earned my respect that day. He was everywhere appealing to everybody while working his phone to monitor Ayuba's proigress. But for him, may be there wouldn't have been any need for me to write this piece.Ayuba would probably have been in Igbobi nursing his fractures...

by Wálé Ọláyanjú on Monday, October 29, 2012 at 6:34pm