Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele
Fayose, has condemned the attack on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying the
“humiliation of Tinubu is as good as (the) humiliation of the Yoruba
race.”
The governor said allowing the National
Leader of the All Progressives Congress to be embarrassed like past
Yoruba leaders would not be in the interest of the race.
Speaking through his Special Assistant
on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said,
“Even though I am not a member of APC and I will never be, I have
elected to stand in defence of the Yoruba nation once again by saying no
to the continuous dishonourable treatment being meted to Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, having paid his dues.
“If Tinubu is allowed to be embarrassed
and disgraced just the way our past leaders were humiliated by these
same elements, the Yoruba nation would have been made to suffer for
uprightness.”
The governor condemned the Tuesday sponsored protest against the APC leader at the party’s national secretariat.
Some youth groups had protested in Abuja
to condemn Tinubu for demanding the resignation of the APC National
Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, over his role in the Ondo Governorship
primaries that produced former Nigerian Bar Association President,
Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
Oyegun reportedly overruled the majority
decision of the National Working Committee of the APC that voted for
cancellation of the primaries.
Fayose said, “It is unfortunate that
Tinubu is now being vilified in a party he invested heavily in; and his
fellow kinsmen that he brought up politically are part of this
conspiracy.
“In their desperation, they have even
tried to set him against the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, by
insinuating that he tried to prevent his (Osinbajo) emergence as
President Mohammadu Buhari’s running mate. This is sad!
“When other tribes protect their own, it
is becoming historically common among the Yoruba to allow themselves to
be used against their leaders just for momentary political gains at the
expense of the collective interests of the Yoruba nation.
“It should be noted that late Chief
Obafemi Awolowo was sent to jail by the conspiracy and collaboration of
some Yoruba with the external aggressors.”
Fayose argued that Tinubu is a prominent
stakeholder and people should not watch while those he used his own
sweat to make conspire with others to humiliate him.
“Most importantly, it is my position
that irrespective of political affiliation, no leader of the Yoruba
nation must be vilified unduly, especially by the same people who
humiliated our past leaders such as Obafemi Awolowo, Adekunle Ajasin,
Bola Ige, Bisi Onabanjo, Lateef Jakande, and others.
“To me, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should not
be seen just as an APC leader, but acknowledged as a major stakeholder
in the Yoruba nation that we must all protect beyond politics.
”It should be recalled that these were
among the issues that I raised when I visited Governor Rauf Aregbesola
of Osun State a few months ago on the need to work together beyond party
affiliations.
“Here in Yorubaland, it is said that if a
household is at peace, it is because the bastard child of the family is
yet to attain the age of maturity and those people that Asiwaju Tinubu
made, but are now being used against him, should watch it.
“I therefore condemn this conspiracy
against Asiwaju Tinubu and I admonish those that are hoping to make
political benefits from it to have a rethink.”
The governor, who called for greater
unity among the Yoruba, added, “We are first Yoruba before becoming
members of political parties. It is my opinion that our leaders must be
defended and protected, not-minding the personal gains of today.”
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