By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
The leader of Yoruba Self-Determination Movement (YSDM), Prof Banji Akintoye, has rejected All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and his campaign to become Nigeria’s next president.
Prof Akintoye held that there is no going back on their struggle for self-determination.
In a statement made available to newsmen, Prof Akintoye said that Tinubu’s aspiration is only for his personal interest and not about the welfare of the Yoruba people.
“The Yoruba people have decided that they want their own country. We have decided that since 2019 and there is no looking back. We want our Yoruba nation now. That is the decision of the overwhelming majority of the Yoruba. However, there are some of us who think they have done a lot for some political friends in Nigeria and they want to earn the benefit of it. One of them said, “I am the next person, emilokan,” he stated.
On their agitation regarding Tinubu and other Yoruba politicians seeking elective posts, Prof Akintoye said an independent Yoruba Nation away from Nigeria has no alternative.
According to him, “Well, we don’t grudge for that, but what is important in that is that they are doing that for their personal gain and not for the welfare of the Yoruba people. What the welfare of Yoruba people demands today is that every Yoruba woman, man and child demands today is that we walk peacefully to take our nation out of Nigeria. That is what is in the interest of the Yoruba Nation today. And why is that? The reason is that for 62 years since independence, Nigeria levied war on the Yoruba and has been like a death house for the Yoruba nation. Only two years after independence, the Nigerian federal government organized a surreptitious move to disrupt the government of our western region and to use one of our most prominent leaders against the rest of our people unfortunately, they succeeded then and Nigeria has been dragging our nation down steadily ever since.
“By 1960, we were far and away the most developed part of tropical Africa. We were the only people with free education and a whole lot of achievements of modern development, a number of industrial estates, an investment fund, and the western region development commission that had holdings in banking, real estate and even companies. We had established the first television on the African continent even before some European had television. We were heading very strongly towards becoming a prosperous and modern society. And we were doing all that under our leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the 1950s.”
Prof Akintoye said he has nothing against Yoruba politicians seeking elective office but he is only concerned about the future of their children.
“I have no personal animosity towards any Yoruba person seeking election. But I am sorry for you. You are creating a legacy that your children’s children will be ashamed to know about very soon in the future of the world. My advice? Turn around and come to support your people. This is the time to show that you are a man. You have men. You have the heart of men,” he stated.