Idiagbon's son confronts APC aspirant in Kwara State for adopting their family name as an election gimmick

ADEKUNLE Idiagbon has written to the police asking them to investigate the activities of an All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Kwara State Abdulwaheed who has adopted his family name just so he can benefit from his father's legacy as a no-nonsense man.

Late Major General Tunde Idiagbon, was Nigeria's number two man when President Muhammadu Buhari was military head of state between 1983 and 1985 and was renowned for being a tough, anti-corruption campaigner and disciplinarian. As the chief of staff supreme headquarters, General Idiagbon controlled all visible instruments of national, political, governmental and administrative powers, jailing corrupt politicians and introducing the War Against Indiscipline.

General Idiagbon died a modest man on March 25 1999 in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital and is widely revered as a man who eschewed ostentation and material wealth. With elections due in February, Abdulwaheed has adopted the Idiagbon name, looking to stand as Abdulwaheed Idiagbon, hoping that the goodwill would contribute to making his political ambition a reality in the 2019 elections.

However, Adekunle Idiagbon, the late general's first son has taken issue with the development, saying Abdulwaheed is not his father's offspring or relative. Adekunle said he has petitioned the Kwara State police commissioner Fofowora Bolaji, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the APC about the development.

Mr Idiagbon said: The said Abdulwaheed, who calls himself Jimmy, even bragged that the legacy of late Major General Babatunde Idiagbon would help him win in the 2019 general elections among other false and unguarded utterances. It is pertinent to assert that Abdulwaheed/Jimmy’s claim as the son of the late Idiagbon is false.

“Abdulwaheed is not, has never been and will never be the son of Idiagbon let alone a member of the family. All members of our family are righteously aggrieved and embarrassed by this claim and have commenced immediate steps within the ambit of the law to bring this Abdulwaheed/Jimmy to book.”

However, Shehu Bashir,  the director-general of the AbdulWaheed Olushola Idiagbon Campaign Organisation, said the aspirant never claimed to be the biological son of Idiagbon. He added that any reference to this effect was a misrepresentation by the media as him sharing the name with the late general is simply coincidental.

Mr Bashir said: “There was no such time Mr Shola Idiagbon ever claimed to be General Tunde Idiagbon’s biological son. It is the understanding of the campaign that the error was made in the news report.

“However, it is important to state that the name Idiagbon is a cognomen borne by every indigene of the compound, which the aspirant also biologically belongs to. This clarification has become necessary in order to properly guide the general public.”