•He owned buildings, other properties worth billions –Source
•It's not true; he had no money as people imagined –Widow
On a normal day, Adedibu's Molete palatial residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, would host at least 700 people. His kitchen fed supporters, including unemployed graduates, numbering between 400 and 500 everyday. The residence of 'Alaafin Molete' (Monarch of Molete domain of Ibadan), as he was fondly called, also drew all sorts of people to him, miscreants inclusive, as they were all sure of free meals. That of course made them willing to do his bidding.
The Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland and highly rated politician, Senator Lekan Balogun, said Adedibu's house was always full of people while alive because he was a philanthropist, saying this attracted a lot of people to him, aside politicians.
"His abiding philosophy was that whoever came into the compound weeping must go back rejoicing and a lot of people till date cannot forget his impact in their lives. The late Adedibu also deployed his influence in fighting for others' rights," Balogun recalled.
However, five years after his death, the residence remains desolate, though well kept. It was a shadow of its old self. The silence that pervaded the compound was unprecedented. It is one in which a drop of needle would be noticed. This was not how it was when Adedibu was alive. The house has since lost its boisterous character; Adedibu's home, formerly known as a "Mecca", is now deserted, leaving the widow and few family members to occupy the vast estate without the crowds that thronged the compound on daily basis.
"That is life. Every soul must taste death. And you know people; they worship human beings and people in government or people that have influence on government. And when that person is no more, hardly would you see them around. It is those that know God that you will see. Many would hardly come. We are all human beings and that is the nature of human beings." That was how Alhaja Bose Adedibu, the widow of the man who held Oyo State politics 'in his pocket' for years, reacted to how desolate Adedibu's house has become, when Sunday Mirror visited last Thursday.
Inside the palatial estate are five buildings, halls and adorning one of the halls in the premises are pictures of great politicians like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Augustus Meredith Adisa Akinloye, Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu (Penkelemeesi), among other great politicians, who are believed to have been Adedibu's mentors. The main building from the top floor where Adedibu used to dish out orders looked vacant. And opposite it lies the grave of the man reputed as the undisputable strongman of Ibadan politics, which like the legendary Egyptian Sphinx, creates awe but is eternally speechless.
In the compound was also a piece of land which, according to a close source to the Adedibu family, was meant to build a police post but which the late politician could not execute before his demise.
The wife, Bose, told Sunday Mirror that Adedibu was too busy in his life time to engage in any business. She also dismissed insinuations that he owned any landed property within or outside Ibadan. But sources who want to remain anonymous disclosed to Sunday Mirror that apart from his Molete residence which parades five buildings, the late Adedibu also owned about 20 buildings within the Molete locale of Ibadan. One of the buildings, adjacent to his house, is being used as PDP office.
Apart from the buildings, Adedibu is said to have about 17 mosques within the Ibadan metropolis, one of which is inside his Molete mansion. He is also said to have shopping complexes at Molete, Iwo Road, Ososami and a place close to Iyana Adeoyo on M.K.O. Abiola Way, all in Ibadan.
It was gathered that those occupying the Molete Shopping Complex were not paying any official rent to Baba (Adedibu) when he was alive. When Sunday Mirror visited the traders occupying the complexes to find out who is collecting the rent from them now that Adedibu is dead, they all maintained sealed lips.
However, commercial activities were going on and there was no sign that the owner is no more.
Though no family member was ready to disclose who is assisting in managing the landed properties, it was reliably gathered that a prominent Muslim leader and a philanthropic businessman who was the late Adedibu's confidant and benefactor, is now in charge of the running of the properties.
There has not been any open fight or disagreement within the family. How has this been achieved? Was there a Will that allocate what to who and has prevented altercations between the members of the family. "Baba has no Will", was the response of Bose Adedibu.
But there were rumours upon his death that there was a Will. "It is you the journalists… You know, at times, you want to sell your newspaper. He didn't do a Will anyway.
You know he lived his life for poor people. My husband couldn't sleep with money. It is not possible. You know one thing about him? If he didn't have money, he would be going up and down looking for money", Bose Adedibu countered, regarding speculations of an existing Will from Adedibu.
"So he didn't do any Will. He didn't have any property. What he has is what you are seeing here. So that is just it, Newspapers are just writing what they are writing", Bose further said.
However, our source disagreed with the widow of the late politician. He said the man has so many landed properties, even in Lagos, saying the properties are scattered all over the place and are worth billions of naira.
The political group of Adedibu is also scattered few years after his death, with former Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao- Akala who is perceived as the major beneficiary of Adedibu political dynasty and his deputy, while in office, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, who both once held sway in the Adedibu political dynasty, now operating poles apart, after they lost the 2011 gubernatorial race to the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
The Adedibu dynasty was also rubbished when Senator Kamorudeen Adedibu, in his bid to go for a second term as Senator, lost the election in 2011. As of now, there is no person that wields command of Adedibu's unusual pedigree, in the control of Oyo State politics. Though the Adedibu Group, an amorphous assemblage of his one-time political loyalists and beneficiaries are said to be fashioning out a way to reposition itself before the 2015 election, many are wondering how far members of the group can go . Who is to lead the Adedibu Group? Bose Adedibu said, "God is already doing that, and within a short time, a leader will emerge for the group."
