How Odumakin and I began our friendship ― Falana

As Nigerians grapple with the weekend shock exit of immediate Afenifere’s spokesperson, Comrade Yinka Odumakin, a prominent leader of the civil society community, Mr Femi Falana, on Sunday, detailed his fraternity journey with the late activist.

In a moving elegy, the Silk recalled past exploits of Odumakin in his sustained quest for a better Nigeria and his strong commitment to a united nation, anchored on power devolution from the centre to federating units, despite the pressure on him, from separatist groups, to identify with them.

He said: “Yinka Odumakin was an undergraduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University (1986-1989). He was a member of the Alliance of Progressive Students (ALPS). Based on his defence of students’ rights, Yinka was elected the Public Relations Officer of the Students Union (1987-88). That was the time that the Ibrahim Babangida military junta embarked on the deradicalisation of the universities in order to weaken the capacity of the Nigerian people to resist the imposition of the Structural Adjustment Programme.

“During the 1988 convocation ceremony of the University the late Vice-Admiral Patrick Koshoni, stood proxy for the visitor and military President, General Babangida. The students staged a peaceful protest against the recolonisation of the country by imperialism. For leading the protest, Yinka and seven of his colleagues were expelled from the University.

“My principal, the Late Comrade Alao Aka-Bashorun dispatched me to Ife to challenge the expulsion of the student activists at the Oyo State High Court. The trial judge quashed the expulsion and ordered the reinstatement of Yinka and his colleagues.

“When the Babangida junta annulled the results of the June 12 election won by the Late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, Yinka was among the young men and women who mobilised the Nigerian people, to terminate military rule in Nigeria. A few years later, I was surprised when Yinka informed me that he had decided to pursue the struggle for the emancipation of the Nigerian people along ethnic lines. Thereafter, he pitched his tent with Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group.

“Even though Yinka was the youngest member of the group, he was made the spokesman. In that capacity, he effectively publicised the activities of the body and defended its position on national issues.

“Before President Umaru Yar’Adua passed on in May 2010, a cabal of power-mongers had staged a coup against the Constitution. Yinka became the Secretary of the Save Nigeria group, led by Pastor Tunde Bakare, which campaigned for the inauguration of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President.

“Notwithstanding our ideological differences, Yinka consistently called on me to discuss the state of the nation and seek clarifications on major constitutional matters. He also referred several cases relating to the infringement of the human rights of the poor and vulnerable members of society to our law for legal redress.

“As a believer in national integration, Yinka married his comrade and girlfriend, Josephine Obiajulu, of the Igbo extraction. In spite of the pressure recently mounted on him by some separatist groups, Yinka remained committed to a united Nigeria, anchored on power devolution from the centre to the other federating units.”

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How Odumakin and I began our friendship ― Falana