Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how a late-night journey into villages around Ibadan helped avert a planned protest by the influential Agbekoya movement against the Land Use Decree of 1978, a law that would later become one of the most enduring and controversial pillars of Nigeria’s legal framework.
Obasanjo made the disclosure on Saturday in Abuja during the public presentation of three books in honour of former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) as part of activities marking his 84th birthday.
Speaking at the event themed “The Legacy of a Statesman @84,” the former military ruler recounted how the Land Use Decree faced widespread resistance shortly after it was introduced by his administration in 1978.
According to Obasanjo, opposition to the legislation cut across regional lines.
“When the Land Use Act was promulgated as a decree, a colleague came to me and said nobody liked it. The North didn’t like it, the South didn’t like it,” he recalled.
The resistance, he said, became more concerning when intelligence reports indicated that members of the Agbekoya movement in the South-West were mobilising for demonstrations against the policy.
The Agbekoya movement, known for its historic farmers’ uprising in the old Western Region during the late 1960s, had earned a reputation as one of the most organised grassroots pressure groups in Yoruba land. Their opposition raised fears that the controversy surrounding the decree could escalate into widespread unrest.
Faced with the prospect of a major confrontation, Obasanjo said he sought advice from elder statesman Chief Adebo, one of the most respected public servants of his era.
Rather than relying on political intermediaries, Adebo advised him to engage directly with the people.
“The elder statesman advised me to meet them myself and explain what government was trying to achieve,” Obasanjo said.
Acting on that advice, he embarked on an unusual mission.
“I left Lagos at about 2 a.m., got to Ibadan before dawn and visited villages to meet Agbekoya leaders in their homes. By about 8 a.m., I had visited more than a dozen villages explaining the policy to them,” he said.
The direct consultations proved decisive.
“That was how we were able to suppress the protest against the Land Use Decree, and that is why the Land Use Act has endured till today,” he added.
The Land Use Act of 1978 fundamentally altered land administration in Nigeria by vesting ownership and control of land in each state governor, who would hold it in trust for the people. The legislation was intended to simplify land acquisition, curb speculation and make land more accessible for development projects.
Despite decades of criticism from legal experts, traditional institutions, property developers and civil society groups, the Act remains embedded in the 1999 Constitution, making amendments particularly difficult.
Obasanjo used the anecdote to stress the importance of dialogue, consultation and grassroots engagement in governance.
He argued that some of the most difficult national challenges can only be resolved when leaders engage directly with affected communities rather than relying solely on bureaucratic channels.
The former president also reflected on the contributions of military leaders he said played pivotal roles in preserving Nigeria’s unity and democratic evolution.
He singled out former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the late Gen. Murtala Mohammed, the late Lt-Col. Adekunle Fajuyi and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar for what he described as their historic contributions to the country’s survival and development.
The event also featured tributes to Abdulsalami’s role in Nigeria’s democratic transition, with President Bola Tinubu directing the allocation of land for an Abdulsalami Abubakar African Resource Centre in Abuja and pledging federal support for its construction.
The gathering attracted former presidents, senior government officials, diplomats and political leaders, underscoring Abdulsalami’s enduring influence nearly three decades after overseeing Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999.
