Prince Adeyemi Aderibigbe: Meet “the luckiest man in the world”!
Prince Adeyemi Aderibigbe, who calls himself “the luckiest man in the world”, is the oldest of my guests on this programme. He was born in 1925, at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, making him 100 years old in March this year. From the colonial times, he worked at the West African Pilot, before becoming the […]
prince
Prince Adeyemi Aderibigbe, who calls himself “the luckiest man in the world”, is the oldest of my guests on this programme. He was born in 1925, at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, making him 100 years old in March this year. From the colonial times, he worked at the West African Pilot, before becoming the managing director of the Morning Post in Lagos, as well as the Daily Service. He worked with several governments at the top level, including the military regime of General Gowon and the civilian administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Let me start by asking about your early days. You were born a prince; what does that mean in real life?
Well, I was born a prince, but that is not sufficient to make me what I am. I was raised to live a prince’s life, but I did not, because there were few things I did not like, naturally. For instance, I didn’t like anybody drinking near me and I didn’t stay near them. My father drank a lot and I didn’t like it. He called me one day and asked: “What do you not like about me?” I said I didn’t like the way he drank. He said, “Don’t worry about me drinking. I have been a soldier (native soldier). He was a warrior.
I took the advice – Copy what you know is right and good for you. And that has helped me through life. I say it with pride that I am proud to be what I am today – a simple person.
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This is the Ife ruling house?
Yes. I installed the present Ooni of Ife. I took him from this house to be installed.
Because you are the head of the family?
I am the head of the family and the head of the ruling house. So, I took him home. I am proud to say that I installed the Ooni.
Tell us about your early days. Where did you go to school?
I belong to a family of women, 11 sisters and one boy; that boy is me. I started school at D Line, D28 in Zaria.
You were taken by one of your sisters?
After starting school, that sister of mine went to work and another sister came and took me. Before she came back from work, she had taken me away.
To where?
To Calabar. So, again they had to find school for me in Calabar. It was in Calabar that I met Sir Samuel Manuwa, the first Nigerian Chief Medical Director. It was Sir Samuel who took me to the Sudan Interior Mission in Kano to check my eyes. My eyes were very bad.
You had bad eyes from a young age?
It is a disease in my family; everybody seems to have very bad eyes. But mine is better now because I can see you properly.
So, everywhere I went, another sister would come and take me.
So where did you finish your primary and secondary school?
Where did I finish primary school? Oh, it was Ado Ekiti, because my father’s younger brother was also a teacher; he gave me to another teacher who was under him to take care of me. I finished my primary and secondary education there. That was in the 1930s.
Did you come back to Lagos to continue schooling?
No. I had to go back home to Ile-Ife. Again, another sister came and took me back to Lagos. There, I started growing up and became very rascally.
What were you doing in Lagos; schooling or working?
I had not started working then. I was just there in the neighbourhood, playing around and being a Lagos boy. Then education came by the side and I started growing up with it.
There was a tendency in those days for young men to go to England. Actually, as a Lagosian you were a British subject. Did you try to go to England for further studies?
No. You see, I didn’t know about me being a British subject then. It didn’t matter to me because like a playboy, we played in the open field and everywhere; that’s what we were doing.
It was when I went to England in 1950 that I realised I was a British subject and I was subject to their laws. That’s how I started my second phase of life.
Tell us about that phase because it took you to England and you joined the army.
I didn’t join. When you say ‘join the army,’ that would mean I had volunteered to join. I did not. I was conscripted into the army and taken to Eden.
Yemen?
Yes. I nearly lost my life there because children were playing and I was playing with them. I didn’t know that they saw me as an enemy to be killed. They tried to kill me but they did not succeed. I am still alive today.That’s how it went.
Some of my 11 sisters were well-educated.I will tell you of a very important Nigerian who became president temporarily. Can you guess?
Shonekan?
Yes, my sister’s son.
Oh, one of the sons of your sisters?
My sister’s son, I trained him and sent him to school.
So it was a very privileged upbringing. When you went abroad, there was this conscription into the army, which didn’t succeed; what were you doing then because you stayed abroad?
What did I go for? I went for education. But I am not going to talk about my education because I think I hold that privilege.
What of your travels? You were in the UK, US, which other places did you go?
I was in the United Kingdom (UK), from there to the United States (US). I went to school in the US and did everything I wanted to do there. The boy sitting here, that one to the left, is an American citizen. That’s my son.
Before you went abroad you were working as a journalist at the Zik Press. How did you get into journalism?
I told you that when I was growing up, I liked journalism. I saw journalists and wanted to be one. I was trained by Zik and he said that since I wanted to be a journalist, I should join Shomolu.
Who was the editor then?
I was trained under Shomolu, who later became the chief judge of the Western Region. There was another person who was an editor of the The Pilot. In fact, he sent me to the School of Journalism in England, Regent Street Polytechnic. He was laughing at me; and two or three days later, he gave me my admission letter. That’s how I went.
Zik was better known for politics; how long did you stay at the Zik Press?
He was also a journalist. He wrote most of the editorials himself. However, he said my English was impeccable and felt I should be writing. That’s how I became a leader writer under him etc. I want to give you a photograph of me as a leader writer.
Did you join Zik in his politics?
I am not a politician.
You were never tempted to join the nationalists? Were you not part of the Zikist Movement for national struggle?
No. You see, because of the division between Zik and Awolowo, I did not want to be part of that. And I never did. I did not like some of their politics and I didn’t hide it.
I did not like Awolowo’s politics because it was tribal; so I did not take part in it. Zik was straight; he did what he said he would do. In 1944, he said he was not going to be part of partisan politics although he ended up being one.
But you see, that my son I told you is an American citizen taught me a lesson; his experience taught me a lesson. When he was born, the mother was 26 weeks pregnant instead of 30. How was I going to cope? So I started asking questions. Of course, I had to resort to my own mother and my sisters to teach me how to go about it. And they taught me. He is now a big boy and I am proud of that.
So, after working in the media you also went into the civil service?
Yes.
Tell us about that phase of your life.
I told you that Ibrahim Attah was my permanent secretary and I was his deputy; and we got on fine. He was a Kogi prince.
Which ministry was this?
Ministry of Defence. I grew up in the course of civil service. I was what you now call the SSS.
SSA?
No. It was a special unit that became the DSS(Department 0f State Security) or whatever they are now. When I was in the US I was trained as a special branch man. That is not for consumption, you know that? That’s how I grew up.
I liked my sojourn. The father of Sanusi, the Emir of Kano now, was my mate. These were the people I grew up with.
So Muhammadu Ribadu was your minister at that point?
Yes. He was the minister of defence and the most senior minister in the cabinet. Balewa was the prime minister. Everybody called him Baba, including the prime minister.
Tell us a bit about him. Why was he called Baba?
Because he was their teacher. He taught Sardauna and many of them, so what else would they call him?
What kind of man was he?
He was a very honest man. I make bold to say that I had never found a man as honest as Baba.
He was straightforward. He would always do what he promised to do. If he didn’t talk, it may mean that he was either not convinced or he knew what to do but did not want to tell you. That’s a man. There was a time I went to see him in his home.
In Yola?
Yes. When I crossed the river, driving to Jimeta, my brakes failed. And I had just bought that car. It was a British car and very reputable, but the brakes failed.
You drove it from Lagos to Yola?
Yes. By the time I got to Yola, I managed and left it. I left the car in Yola till today. I did not retrieve it, not because I was afraid of death, but it was stupid for a British luxurious car to have acted that way.
Did you leave it in Ribadu’s house?
I left it at the catering rest house and didn’t go back there. I took a flight from there back home.
You told me that Ribadu suddenly left his job as minister and went back to Yola; why did he do that?
He said he was tired. He went back home and became a local government councillor. As the most senior minister he was virtually next to the prime minister.
Why do you think he was disgusted with the government, to the extent that he left and went back to Yola?
He did not tell me. He just said he was tired and was going home. And he did not regret it. He was proud of being at home. I later learned why he decided to go. He had seen everything, so what else was he trying to see? Nothing. Baba was very good, better than my boss, Zik because he was straightforward.
Beside his English and all those things, what kind of man was Zik, our first president?
Zik was a different man, having lived in the United States and mixed with all sorts of people. And he was a politician who built himself, but Baba was a different specie.
Where did you go when you left the civil service at some point?
I was in Gulf Oil, which became Chevron.
What were you doing?
I had a responsibility. It was Maitama Sule who invited me from Port Harcourt when I was in the Eastern Nigeria Housing Corporation as general manager.
Oh, you were there before Gulf Oil?
He asked me to come to Lagos and talk to them in Gulf Oil. They offered me a job but poor salary. Maitama advised me to take it and I took it. And I don’t regret taking it because I eventually became the head of that company.
Annually, I would write a report of our findings and send to Maitama, the minister of mines and power and copy the prime minister.
I think that somehow, Okotie Eboh saw it and copied it.
He was the minister of finance?
Yes. And he would forward it to Akintola, the deputy premier of Western Region. That was the beginning of trouble.
Akintola made a political pronouncement. He went on air and said that oil was found in commercial quantity in the Western Region, which was not true. When he got it he phoned me in office and said I should meet him in Abeokuta. So I left Lagos and went to Abeokuta. When I got to the Government House to see him, he was not there, but he left a message, saying he had just left for Ibadan and I should meet him there. I left my office, just me and my driver and went straight to Government House in Ibadan. He was also not there. I saw the wife, who said he had just gone to Oyo. She added that I would catch up with him in Oyo.
Oyo town?
Oyo town, or I would find him in Ogbomosho. I eventually ended up in his house in Ogbomosho.
So, all the time, he was going to wait for me there and he started to try and brainwash me. I was not the head of Gulf then.
Brainwash you to do what?
To agree that oil was found in the Western Region, which was not true. It was found in the Mid-West, not Western Region. That was the beginning of the trouble.
Where were you when the 1966 coup took place?
I have read many versions. There was a problem in India and the prime minister sent Matthew Mbu.
The minister of foreign affairs? So Balewa sent him to India
He sent Matthew to India. It was while he was there that the coup happened here. On the morning he arrived, I was at the airport to meet him.
There was a captain. He was guarding the airport, so he took out his gun and said that if I moved he would shoot me. I said he dared not and he replied, “Okay, try.” I was not going to risk it with the army because they would kill you and that would be the end of it. We became very close friends later.
I had to report back that the military had taken over. I didn’t know that the prime minister himself had been killed. Balewa’s younger brother, Balarabe and I were very close friends. You see, in government we interact with one another very easily.
The prime minister had been killed, so what was I supposed to do; play along with them? It was a terrible disaster.
I have read various versions of it, including what (Segun) Osoba wrote. But I know what happened. I saw what happened.
What happened?
I saw the body in a military van when they were taking him away. What happened was that at the night of the coup, there was a reception in Ikoyi.
In Mai Malari’s house?
God bless you. It was at that party that I volunteered to take Gowon to his house at the military barracks in Ikeja.
Ikeja cantonment?
That was what happened. When we got there, the whole place was in dark. Gowon’s girlfriend said, “I am not going to stay with you in this dark.” So we decided to take them to Apapa, where the girl’s relative was. By the time we got to the main gate of the barracks, the military was there again.
They asked where I was coming from and I said I just wanted to drop Gowon. I dropped him there. The two boys who staged the coup were both majors.
Did they know you?
Of course they all respected me because they saw me in the ministry (of Defence).
So when did you leave the civil service?
The moment I became 60, I left and went to the farm. I have a farm at home, so I went there and became a farmer.
Is it rewarding to be a farmer?
The best thing to be is a farmer. I am very happy to be a farmer. My youngest daughter is also a farmer. She is in charge of my bigger farm. She has a master’s degree.
Now, all her brothers are envious and they want me to get her to report to them,
Because she is younger?
I said it won’t happen.
You celebrated your 100th birthday in March; how do you feel?
They sent me cake. The mother of the chief judge of Ogun State was my telephonist; in other words, she was the one who received my calls and passed them to me.
Your receptionist?
That’s what she was in the civil service. Then the father of the chief judge was one of my boys – one of my reporters who came visiting me and saw her. That was how they fell in love.
They produced two children – this one and her elder sister. That’s what I have been enjoying all my life. During my 95th birthday, she sent me a card and N100,000. They kept me alive.
One other strong relationship you’ve had over the years is with Obasanjo. It seems you were in his government when he was president. How did you meet?
I met him when I went to see Ike as Provost Marshal.
Ike Nwachukwu?
A Katsina boy like you. Ike was my reporter. When I went to see him, I saw Obasanjo playing with another officer with his gun. I exclaimed, but he said I should not mind because that’s what they did. That was how I met Obasanjo.
Your relationship with him continued even when he was a military head of state, and later, civilian president. Did you work with him?
I worked with him as a civilian. I live a simple life. I am not anxious about anything. I have never tasted drink in my life in any form, including Coke, other than tea and water.
No coffee, no beer and stuffs like that?
Never.
Not even palm wine?
Never; even though palm wine is common among my people.
When I told my father what I didn’t like and what I liked about him, he advised me to keep to that and it would pay me in the end. That end is what he did for me in his final days. He gave me a farm that is sufficient for me to live for the rest of my life, as well as my children. It is a big farm – about 1,000 hectares.
In Ife?
It is outside Ife.
Obasanjo is known to be a very difficult man to get along with. Tell us about your relationship with him.
The magazine commemorating my 100th birthday is from Olusegun Obasanjo. It was written in January 14, 2025 and states, “It gives me immense pleasure to lead my family in joining you and your family in celebrating your 100th birthday on March, 1. It is the grace of God to make you clock a century with so much given to family, friends, colleagues, coworkers and loved ones. We thank God for your life and patriotism.
“Indeed, my friend and senior brother, you have not only lived for a century, but also radiated love, laughter and boundless joy. This is from your very dear aburo, Olusegun Obasanjo”.
Yes, it shows a very strong relationship; but what did you do in his government? How did you relate with him?
I told you he consulted me; and within my limitations, I offered my services.
Did you keep the relationship throughout his tenure?
I was not living in the barracks; I lived in Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.
So you were not in the Villa?
But if anything happened in the Villa, he called me and I would go there and offer my advice.
Do you still maintain a relationship with some past leaders, such as Gowon?
If I call him now he will respond. When he was supposed to come for my birthday party, which was scheduled to start at 10am, he was here in Ibadan by 9.30am and stayed at Premier Hotel until evening when we started.
So he was also at the birthday party?
Oh yes.
What about Ike Nwachukwu?
Ike was there. They were all there. In fact, Ike’s wife came back from the US or wherever to join her husband at the party.
Why do you see yourself as the luckiest man in the world?
I neither drink nor smoke. I live a simple life and I am very proud of that.
Apart from not drinking and not smoking, do you observe other habits you think have contributed to your long life? Are there things you don’t eat or eat that have helped you to stay strong at 100?
No. You see, my father was a warrior. As you want to enter my room, you will see a photograph; that’s me and my father. That photograph was taken when he was 115 years.
So you inherited long life from your father.
Oh-oh.
Do you eat anything you want? Are you restricted in your diet?
No. But I eat once in a day, at 5 o’clock in the evening.
No breakfast?
I don’t eat breakfast. I drink a cup of tea in the morning and will remain like that till 5pm when my dinner will be ready.
What do you tend to eat for dinner?
Whatever they prepare for me. Then I go to bed by 8 o’clock.
Do you exercise?
I used to be a good boxer, but I am now an old man.
You say you live a simple life. What does that mean? Also, do you struggle to make a living now or you just relax on your farm?
I keep my company. I am a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and I go there, mix with them, entertain them and leave.
So you go to the NUJ secretariat regularly?
Yes.
Do you belong to clubs? You know there are many clubs for big men.
I don’t belong. That’s why I say I consider myself one of the luckiest men. I don’t know why. But once I see something I don’t like, I run away from it; and I don’t hide it.
Are you in touch with the current political leaders? Having seen all the past governments in Nigeria, are you happy with the way the present government is going?
I don’t know what you think, but I know those who have failed. Your president( Tinubu) and Trump are two of a kind; they are the same. I am not afraid of death.
As an Ife prince, and indeed, the head of the ruling house, the Giesi, did you ever aspire to be the Ooni?
No. I was asked to come and be, but at 90, what would I want that for? So I called this boy – my son to take the position – but he said no; he didn’t have the time. He wants to be something else.
Is he abroad?
Yes; he lives in England.
If the opportunity came earlier, would you have accepted?
Of course if it came when I was young, I would have accepted the offer. But at 90; to do what? No.
Is it that when we reach the age of 90 or 100, we lose the taste for life? Is it that you don’t care about anything anymore?
What do I care about? All I want is to see those behind me who seek my counsel. If they will take it, I will advise them; that’s all.
What of religion? Does that make you go back to God and spend all your time praying and supplicating?
No. My life is to mix with like-minds and seek counsel. If you can influence others, good luck, if you can’t, keep yourself. That’s it.
But are you lonely at old age?
I am not lonely because I have grandchildren who come and play with me. My compound is big enough. I also have two dogs there. I go out and they come and play with me; and in the evening I go and sleep.
Let’s talk about your family life. You spoke of your first wife who died; and the children, who are now all over the place running their lives. I read the poem on your second wife, tell us how you met.
We met on a Sunday morning when I went to drop my daughter on campus.
My daughter had pleaded with me to take her roommate and friend, who was waiting to board a vehicle, and I said yes. And this woman was standing by her roommate, so how could I give this one a lift and I ignore the other. That was not like me. That was how she entered.
When I dropped her, I went home to see my uncle, but he was on his farm.
I had forgotten all about this girl, but as I got to where I dropped her, I saw her standing. I told her that I was not going back to the campus as I was going to see my uncle at the farm. But she said, “If you don’t mind, if you want to take me, I will go.” That was how she entered the car and we went. When we got to the farm, I left her in the car and I didn’t ask her name because that was not my interest.
I went to see my uncle and he asked, “Who is that lady?” I said I didn’t know and explained that I just gave her a lift.
He asked if she was not taught to greet elders if she saw them. I told her that my uncle said she didn’t have manners because she could not greet. So she came down and greeted them. Then my uncle saw her and said, “This is the girl you will marry.”
Did you say she was 35 years younger than you at that point?
I didn’t even know. To shock you, she was also my relative.
Did your uncle know that?
Nobody knew until I was going to my mother’s village at Ilarungun, Osun State and she asked if she could go with me and I said yes.
So, from that time on the farm you continued to see each other?
Oh, yes because I was on the campus( as a lecturer).
How did she react when your uncle said she would be your wife?
My uncle did not say it to her. She just greeted and went back to the car and my uncle said, “That’s the girl you will marry.” I even laughed at my uncle and said that’s how old people would talk.
When we got to my mother’s home, I got down and she also got down from the car. Then my uncle’s mother saw her and started dancing. I asked, “Mama what is this?” And she said, “You found her.” “Found who? I asked. She said, “When I see my children I shouldn’t know them?”
She told me that my uncle was at the palace and I should meet him there. So, I went to the palace with her, and as soon as the Oba saw her, he sent for another man. He didn’t say anything.
When that one came, he said, “This is family reunion.” He said that without anybody asking him any question. He also said, “Don’t you know that the girl is pregnant?” I told him that I knew she was pregnant, but “what is the reunion?” He said, “This is a member of your family.” That’s how the relationship started.
How has the journey of remarriage been all these years?
You can sum it up yourself.
I want you to do it.
Benji, our driver, can answer that question?
Why should Benji answer the question? We want to hear from you.
He knows the relationship between me and Mama. And that’s how it will be until I go; so help me God.
Is that one of the reasons you are the happiest man in the world?
I am the luckiest man. We bicker sometimes, but at the end of the day, it is still Mama. I don’t call her by name.
But she is much younger than you.
She has been shying away from you.