Razaq Bamidele
Two pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisations, The Coalition of Oodua Self-determination Groups (COSEG) and the Oodua Youth Movement (OYM) have pledged their supports to the newly-elected Yoruba leader, Prof. Banji Akintoye, saying his emergence was ‘democratic and acceptable’.
The groups said there was never a time they took any position opposing the emergence of Prof. Akintoye as leader of Yoruba in Nigeria.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary of the COSEG, Comrade Razaq Olokoba, it said decisions on fundamental issues affecting the Yoruba, including organisational, alliance-related and leadership issues are usually discussed at meeting of delegates of member organisations of the Coalition.
COSEG was disassociating its members from online publications purportedly signed by one Mr. Dayo Ogunlana denouncing the election of Prof. Banji Akintoye as Yoruba ‘eader, asserting that, “there was never a time COSEG took such position on the matter.”
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Such meetings, according to the statement, were not held since Prof. Akintoye was elected Yoruba leader, neither was there consultation at any level of organisation before the purported statement was issued.
“Further, the claim made in the publication that Yoruba leaders are usually not elected but always emerge is rather frivolous and unmindful of the democratic essence of modern socio-cultural and political organisation.
“If in the past leaders had emerged by consensus, it merely signified that there were discussions and agreements rather than imposition, which still made the process democratic.
“The election of Prof. Banji Akintoye merely carried this further by acknowledging minority position if not dissent, which in all sense is a positive development.
“We therefore wish to categorically state that the position espoused in the publication purportedly by Mr. Dayo Ogunlana, is uninformed, insensitive to the leadership need of the Yoruba at this critical time of political, social, economic downturn and grueling state of insecurity, and as such does not represent the views of the coalescing groups, either individually or collectively,” COSEG stated emphatically.
In the same vein, the Oodua Youth Movement (OYM), also said the way and manner of Prof. Akintoye emerged was ‘normal, democratic and acceptable’.
This clarification was contained in a release signed by one of the conveners, Comrade Shina Afuwa, where he asserted that, for the avoidance of doubt, the OYM was never a party to the any publication opposing to Akintoye’s emergence as Yoruba Leader.
The group that was the first Yoruba organisation formed in 1994 to confront the military’s annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Chief MKO Abiola, therefore dissociated itself from some online publications purportedly signed by the Chairman of the Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Groups (COSEG), Comrade Dayo Ogunlana in which the election of Professor Banji Akintoye as Yoruba leader was called to question and further described in uncomplimentary terms.
“Furthermore, COSEG is a coalition that has a tradition of collating and synthesising the views of its member organisations, views that are concomitant with that of Yoruba sons and daughters before taking position on any issues that affect the Yoruba as a nation.
“There had not been such meeting since Professor Akintoye emerged as Yoruba Leader and as such no objective effort made to aggregate any objections or agitation among our members with respect to the process that led to his emergence.
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“Thus, the so called publication was a handiwork of an overzealous undemocratic individuals who never did any consultations with member organisations.
“We equally contend the publication as misleading, a historical and illogical to assert that Yoruba leaders do not emerge by election.
“Therefore, we of the Oodua Youth Movement are of the strong opinion that, at this time, there are issues of more importance than creating leadership tussles and bickering among the Yoruba umbrella organisation, Afenifere.
“More so that the pedigree and qualifications of the leader so elected are not in doubt.
“It is our firmly held view that rather than amplifying perceived disagreement among the elders, the younger generation should focus more on cohesion and strategically productive approach to confronting the socio-economic, political and security challenges bedeviling the Yoruba nation,” the group concluded.
