‘Don’t plunge our people into crisis’ — Tinubu campaign knocks Akintoye over ‘divisive’ remark

Bayo Onanuga, director of media & publicity for the Tinubu-Shettima presidential campaign council, says Banji Akintoye should not plunge Nigeria into crisis with his “divisive” statement.

On Thursday, Akintoye, leader of the Yoruba Nation agitation, said Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is not contesting for the people’s interest but for personal ambition.

He said the former Lagos governor is destroying the future of Yoruba by running for the highest office in the country, adding that he will never support him.

Akintoye, who heads Ilana Omo Oodua, was also quoted as threatening to pull the south-west geopolitical zone out of Nigeria.

Reacting in a statement issued on Friday, Onanuga said most of the concerns raised by Akintoye on the issue of restructuring will be addressed by Tinubu’s administration.

Onanuga advised Akintoye to desist from using his old age to create discord in the nation’s polity, adding that his voice should be used for calling for unity and stability. 

“We want to advise him not to plunge our people into crisis or another Rwanda,” he wrote.

“We find it unwarranted the professor’s sweeping accusation that Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu is only pursuing his personal interest in running for the presidency of Nigeria. We hasten to say Asiwaju Tinubu is doing so because of his readiness to render unflinching service to Nigerians and his abiding faith in a strong, united and prosperous Nigeria where all men and women regardless of their ethnicity and religious beliefs can find joy and personal fulfilment.

“Most of the issues on the structure of our federalism raised in Professor Akintoye’s statement have been sufficiently addressed in Asiwaju’s Action Plan with his promise to address some of the problems plaguing our federalism and the will to make the states of being more viable as federating units by devolving more powers to them.

“We quote: “Since our nation’s inception, too much power and resources have been lodged at the federal level. This has come at the expense of state and local governance. This is problematic because state governments are closer to the people and must be more responsive to local needs and aspirations.

“A Tinubu administration will rebalance the responsibilities and authorities of the different tiers of government. We will collaborate with the National Assembly and State Governments to amend our national governance architecture such that States are afforded the autonomy and resources needed to serve better.

“We find it unexplainable that Professor Akintoye who once served as a Senator of the Federal Republic under the Unity Party of Nigeria from 1979-83 at 87 years old, in the twilight of his years on earth, wants to leave a legacy of hatred, bitterness, intolerance and acrimony in our country when he should be a voice of reason, wisdom and stability. 

“Yoruba people which Akintoye falsely claimed he is fighting for say ‘we don’t have an elder in a market and the head of a newborn is not properly placed.’ 

“These immortal words of our forebears appear to be lost on Professor Akintoye who seems to be using his old age to create discord and enmity within our body polity. Rather than being a fountain of wisdom for the young people, Professor Akintoye has become a totem of anarchy and confusion.

“Professor Akintoye said Asiwaju Tinubu is using his old video for the campaign. This is a lie. Asiwaju Tinubu and his campaign organisation have never used any video made by the old man to promote his presidential aspiration. It is now apparent that Professor Akintoye is not among the distinguished and venerable elders our people say don’t lie. 

“There was nowhere Yoruba people sat in a meeting with a mandate given to Professor Akintoye and his band of confusionists in his so-called Ilana Yoruba Group to lead Yoruba out of Nigeria. 

“Asiwaju is contesting to be President of Nigeria because he is a nationalist, a bridge builder and a man with a clear vision to make Nigeria work for all Nigerians. Tinubu is not a hopeless tribalist and delusional ethnic irredentist. Tinubu believes in Nigeria and its manifest greatness and he is prepared to provide the leadership required to make our country one of the greatest nations on earth.

“We want to advise Professor Akintoye to use the remaining part of his life to be at peace with himself and his maker instead of fanning embers of discord.”