His Voice Is Irrelevant – Afenifere • Governors Did Not Carry
Him Along – Fouad Oki
• We Will Not Surrender Amotekun – Yoruba World Congress,
Plans Protest
• Outfit Is Unconstitutional – Rimdan • Lofty Idea , Should Be
Backed By Law – Rev . Akinola
A socio - cultural organisation, the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE ),
yesterday called on the National Leader of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu , to stop playing the ostrich and
speak up now on controversies surrounding the new security
initiative , Operation Amotekun, recently launched by the Southwest
governments.
The Federal Government (through the Minister of Justice and
Attorney General of the Federation ), Abubakar Malami had declared
the initiative illegal , while southwest governors and major
stakeholders in the region insist they have carried major
stakeholders in the Federal Government along since the idea was
first muted in July 2019 .
Tinubu , who is the leader of the southwest APC that currently
controls five out of the six states in the zone , has remained tight -
lipped , and the YCE , Yoruba socio - cultural organisation, Afenifere,
as well as Yoruba Ronu are deeply troubled by his failure to speak .
The Secretary - General of YCE , Dr. Kunle Olajide, told The Guardian,
yesterday , that Tinubu ’ s silence on Amotekun is worrisome and
gives the impression that he has abandoned the governors , who took
the laudable initiative , amidst the rising wave of insecurity across
Yoruba land at the mercy of the “ almighty federal authority .”
According to Olajide: “ One would have expected Tinubu to speak up .
His silence is not inspiring to most of us because it is incumbent on
every reasonable Yoruba person to speak on insecurity confronting
us since APC came into power in 2015 . YCE is not particularly happy
about his silence.”
Olajide urged the media to approach Tinubu to speak up on the
issue because his voice as the political leader of the zone in the APC
is important . “ The entire Yoruba nation supports what the governors
have done in setting up Operation Amotekun, but the Federal
Government just came up to declare it illegal . Tinubu ’ s silence is
absolutely worrisome. ”
Afenifere, through its National Publicity Secretary , Mr. Yinka
Odumakin said Tinubu ’s voice is irrelevant in this situation since
the governors and the entire Yoruba nation have taken a position
on how to provide security for their lives and property.
According to Afenifere: “ Anybody who speaks up or not on this issue
does so for his/ her sake, and the Yoruba future . Operation
Amotekun transcends party affiliation because Governor Seyi
Makinde of Oyo State , who is deeply involved is a member of
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ), while Governors Kayode Fayemi
and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ekiti and Ondo states spearheading it are
of APC . And most other dignitaries backing Amotekun have no
political leanings. ”
EmoticonEmoticon