Leader of Yoruba Nation Self-Determination group, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide (IOO), Prof. Banji Akintoye, has said he did not authorize a congress of the apex body being rumored to take place tomorrow November 1st, 2022 at Ibadan, Oyo-State.
Akintoye said this on Monday in his reaction to a statement issued by one Funmi Soyemi, the outgoing Chairman of Ilana Interim Management Committee of the organization that a World Congress of IOO would hold tomorrow at Ibadan.
The elder statesman declared that the people planning the congress were a few agents of Nigerian politicians within the struggle, alleging that the Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was currently recruiting some power-seeking individuals within the self-determination struggle to either discredit him or destroy the movement completely.
“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 a 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 are 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,” he said.
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