Soji Ajibola, Author at Tribune Online

RENOWNED historian and chairman of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), Professor Banji Akintoye, has lambasted politicians of Yoruba extraction for “massively betraying” the Yoruba people. Speaking exclusively to Sunday Tribune, Akintoye said the betrayal is evidenced from the attitude of the Yoruba politicians who are seeking to take power and chose to close their eyes to the Fulanisation agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. He said it was weird in spite of the visible signs of the agenda all over the country and especially in Yorubaland, all politicians are thinking of are the February 25 and March 11 elections. “Our politicians are betraying our nation in a massive way. The Fulani said they would conquer us and they have prepared all the ground for it. “They have invited Fulani people from all over West Africa to come and they are pouring into the country and being given Nigeria citizenship and voting card immediately. “Buhari made the announcement that anybody from any part of Africa can come to Nigeria without any passport or travel document. That is an invitation to the Fulani who are pouring into the country, ready to fight us. “Buhari and co have also made things easy for international terrorist organisations to come and help the Fulani in their agenda. They are already well established and they themselves made an announcement that they are well established and en- trenched in Yorubaland. “In the midst of all of these, our people in Yorubaland think that the best thing is to be contesting elections. It is a very weird situation. “The Yoruba people will survive this crisis, but this will be a story to tell forever, of massive betrayal of the Yoruba people by the Yoruba politicians. “We must not forget that millions of Yoruba people across the world at home and abroad want their Yoruba country, want to separate themselves from Nigeria and they are putting in little effort here and there are it is producing results. “So, the politicians don’t have the last say; the masses of the people have the last say,” he said. On the rejection of his resignation as leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, a body campaign for the acutalisation of the Yoru- ba Nation, Prof Akintoye said he has accepted to continue to lead the body after pleas from various quarters. He said he earlier only quit group, but did not abandon the struggle to birth a Yoruba Nation out of the current wobbly structure of Nigeria. “I did not exit the struggle for Yoruba self-determination. I only exited the platform, Ilana Omo Oodua. It will be a betrayal of the Yoruba Nation for me if I abandon the struggle. “They have been sending various delegations to me. In fact, some came to me yes- terday , saying they reject my resignation from the group. I told them I need the next day to think about their appeal. “But now that you have called me, my answer really is that it should be obvious. My response is ok, I accept to lead the group again. But please, they must help me so we can restore order and unity to our organisation because the organisation has been very useful in the struggle for Yoruba self determination. “So, I am glad to accept their invitation back. But I urge them to help me so we can restore unity, harmony and strength to our organisation,” he said. Akintoye resigned as leader of the body on December 5, last year, paving the way for the emergence of Wale Adeniran as chairman of the group. On Saturday , Adeniran resigned as chairman of the organisation over allegations of mismanagement. Adeniran said he resigned his membership from the IOOW with a view to allowing a thorough investigation, call- ing on Yoruba elders to set up a committee in that regard. He said, “I want to use this medium to step aside as chairman of Ilana Omo Ood- ua Worldwide, as member of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, I step down as the participant in the Yoruba Nation struggle so as to allow for unfettered investigations of all these al- legations.” Meanwhile, the notable members of the group and members of the council led High Chief Femi Afolabi, rejected their resignations, submitting that the duo are still recognised as the leader of the group. This was made known at a media briefing held on Sat- urday at the Press Centre, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Iyaganku, on Saturday. Afolabi disclosed that the leadership of the group has met with the people con- cerned on the matter. High Chief Banjo said Professor Akintoye and Adeniran have contributed immensely to the struggle and still have a lot to contribute to the ac- tualisation of Yoruba nation. He noted that the leadership quality of Akintoye has enhanced his revalidation and reaffirmation as the leader of the group till date. “We are not unaware of the campaign of calumny by some pseudo-Yoruba nationalists who are paid agents of the Fulani oligarchy to malign and destroy the hard-earned reputation of Professor Akintoye based on puerile and pedestrian allegations that cannot pass a kindergarten test of empirical verification. “We urge Professor Akintoye not to despair and dispirited. We feel his pains of advancing the Yoruba cause even in the most inconvenient manner in exile by deploying his meager resources derived mostly from his pension allowances, stipends from his children and occasional royalties from the book authored by him to execute the Yoruba agenda programmes,” he said.