…as party, group affiliations tear Yoruba leaders apart
The agitation by the South West zone for the restructuring of the country may have suffered a setback as the political cleavages among the leaders of the zone now constitute a stumbling block to the unanimity of the position of the Yoruba on the vexed national issue.
Our correspondent gathered that while politicians in the People’s Democratic Party from the zone boldly support restructuring in line with the position of the opposition party, their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress have developed cold feet in order not to contradict the position of the ruling party.
Although the outcome of last Thursday’s Yoruba Summit, which the leaders pronounced as the “Ibadan declaration,” was the unanimous position of the South West, some leaders are quietly saying that the last may not have been heard about the position of the zone on restructuring.
An APC chieftain, who preferred not to be named, deplored the summit as a mere jamboree and a gathering of “people still peddling archaic idea of regionalism.”
The party chieftain in a chat with our correspondent in Lagos, said that regional government could no longer meet the yearnings of the people of the South West, who he described as having “increased in population and advanced in their socio-political lifestyle.”
He said, “When you are talking of Nigeria of the past more than half a century, you can consider regionalism. But in Nigeria of today, No! Regional government cannot work because the population has grown and the people have become far advanced than in the 50s and 60s. They should just stop wasting their time talking about restructuring.”
A prominent Yoruba leader, who also pleaded anonymity, pointed out that the mere fact that Afenifere, the pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, spear-headed the summit had already coloured the event itself as other rival Yoruba groups that did not attend might eventually come up with different or contrary positions on restructuring.
“Don’t forget, there is another Yoruba organisation led by Gen. Alani Akinrinade (retd) and there is another Yoruba organisation led by late Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (retd). Were they represented at the summit last Thursday? If they were not represented, what stops them from taking a different position tomorrow? Why did the four APC governors send commissioners to represent them at the summit? Why did Lagos not send any representative at all? Why was the duo of Bola Tinubu and Bisi Akande, as recognised leaders of the APC in the South West, not present or bother to send representatives to the summit? Do all my questions not boil down to a clear trend of division in Yoruba land?” he asked.
Recall that during the constitutional conference organised by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, political considerations marred the position of the South West.
The APC leadership at the time reluctantly allowed its state governors to send representatives to the conference while the party refused to take part in its proceedings.
Since taking over power, the APC has not been favourably disposed to the recommendations of the conference, even though many believe they contain most of what those clamouring for restructuring are demanding.
At the Yoruba summit held last Thursday at the Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan, leading politicians in the PDP, such as Femi Fani Kayode and Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, made strong statements in support of restructuring, while APC leaders, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande stayed away from the event.
Also, four APC governors of Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ondo states merely sent representatives, while Lagos did not bother to send anybody.
This division in the rank of Yoruba leaders, perhaps, compelled the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, who noticed the implication of this development while addressing Yoruba leaders at the summit, to appeal for some
caution.
“Let us in the name of God consider what is good for the Yoruba and let us do so without political considerations. Let us consider the future of our youths. Whatever we want from the Federal Government, we can get it with patience. We should not be selfish in our consideration for the future of Yorubaland. God who ‘picked’ me as Arole Oodua will ensure peace in Yorubaland,” the Ooni had said.
But Fayose, who is also the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, decided to hit the nail on the head, when he pointedly accused Yoruba leaders, including those present at the summit, of being the problem of
the region.
According to him, some Yoruba leaders present at the summit would still go out and make another comment against the call for restructuring in contravention of what had been agreed upon at the meeting.
Apparently enjoying being cheered by the crowd chanting: “Oshokomole, Oshokomole!,” Fayose further alleged that the other governors from the zone cleverly avoided attending the summit in order not to offend their political
masters.
