BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A traditional ruler in Osun State, Oluwo of Iwoland, Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has expressed disappointment over the raging division among Yoruba political leaders ahead of 2023 general elections.
Oba Akanbi said he was surprised at the magnitude of the sharp division most especially among Yoruba political leaders in the ruling All Progressives Congress and the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, saying it was a clear demonstration of disunity that was capable of causing Yoruba race to lose the chances of tasting power at the centre.
Specifically, the monarch called out the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Bisi Akande, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, all South West Governors, both former and serving, noting that the “surviving generation would never forgive them should they fail to brighten the political fortune of Yorubaland ahead of 2023 general elections.”
Oba Akanbi enjoined Tinubu to reunite his political house in the interest of Yoruba race adding that “reuniting the Yorubaland political forces in the ruling APC can be achieved by subduing individual ego of its actors. This is the most critical time in the political history of Yorubaland. As a father, I’m worried. Yoruba socio elites and socio political platforms should gear up. I appeal to Asiwaju to play his fatherly role as usual to salvage the political destiny of Yorubaland. We must not make another mistake. The golden opportunity is here.”
A statement by Oluwo through his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, further read, “Personally, I’m disappointed in the political leaders of Yorubaland. The sharp division amongst them will unavoidably be to the disadvantage of our race. The curse must be stoned. This is the most critical time in the political history of the Yoruba race.
“I call on the South West APC and PDP, the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the pioneer acting chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, Vice President Osinbajo, all South West Governors and ministers, ex and serving, to suppress their ego and sustain the political strength of Yorubaland. If Yorubas fail the 2023 poll, it will have a perennial touch on the future political fate of our race.
“As a traditional father, I observe keenly. And when elders are in the market, a child’s head must not bend. Watching them going to the primary with the sharp division is synonymous with watching your children going out naked. What honour will such bring to the father?
“My assessment depicts a house divided within itself. It is a single house of a leader. Most of the prominent aspirants from Yorubaland in the ruling party are from the same house, and graduated from the same school of thought. As such, they are expected to have a similar agenda for the nation. The agenda can be harmonized for a single candidate to have a victorious primary outing. I have the hope it is not too late to re-roof the leaking roof and mend the cracking wall. It is left to all the political leaders, all of them.
“Yoruba should present a formidable and intimidating candidate whose credit and merit cut across the nation. The handwriting on the wall is clear. We should bury our ego to move mountains. Missing the golden opportunity will be a collective failure. I’m hopeful the ball has not crossed the bar.
“We need an urgent Yoruba political meeting. Only this, I think, can prevent us from dancing naked to the marketplace and coming home barefooted. I appeal to all the stakeholders involved to prevent the rain of doom on the political fortune of Yorubaland by putting our house in order. It is not too late. But tomorrow maybe,” he said.
