By Akinwale Kasali
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been accused by Prof. Banji Akintoye, the leader of Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Struggle, of plotting to destroy the Ilana Omo Oodua Movement.
The elder statesman said that ever since he distanced himself from Tinubu and disclosed that Tinubu is on a selfish mission, after his personal interest and not the interest of the Yoruba.
Akintoye added that he has told members of the Movement to ignore all his agents within our system and be more focused on our struggle for freedom and liberation.
He said that he did not authorize a congress of the apex body of Yoruba Self-Determination struggle, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide being rumored to take place November 1st, 2022, (today) at Ibadan, Oyo State.
Akintoye, while reacting to a statement issued by one Funmi Soyemi, the outgoing Chairman of Ilana Interim Management Committee of the organization that a World Congress of Ilana Omo Oodua will hold tomorrow in Ibadan. Akintoye said he never authorized such an event.
However, the Professor of History in a statement said that the people planning the congress are agents of Nigerian politicians within the struggle.
He alleged that the former Lagos State Governor is “currently recruiting some power-seeking individuals within the self-determination struggle to either discredit him or destroy the movement completely”.
The statement reads in parts:
“I am sending out this short message to all Yoruba People worldwide that I did not authorize any meeting of Ilana Omo Oodua to be held tomorrow at Ibadan, Oyo-State.
“Those behind the gathering are few people working for Nigerian politicians who are determined to discredit our noble struggle.
“I hereby dissociate myself from such a gathering and I want the whole world to know the meeting is illegal, unauthorized and unknown to Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide thus whatever resolutions reached at the meeting are null and void.
“The characters behind the rumored meeting are individuals who are more interested in holding offices and positions within the self-determination struggle than fighting to restore the stolen sovereignty of our people.
“More also, Bola Tinubu has threatened to destroy Ilana Omo Oodua and other serious self-determination organizations in Yoruba Land because we told him that he is merely after his personal interest and not the interest of the Yoruba people.
“Therefore, I urge you all to ignore all his agents within our system and be more focused on our struggle for freedom and liberation”.
The allegation by Akintoye against Tinubu is coming a couple of days after the leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, and several South West leaders endorsed the Tinubu ambition.
