The Oyo State Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Adeagbo Adeola has described the statement credited to a factional leader of the group, Razak Balogun as the ranting of a man without focus’, warning him to stop parading himself as a member of the group.
Adeola urged the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and members of the public to disregard this group of people and their evil plan to cause dissatisfaction within the ranks of the OPC.
In a statement, Adeola said: “My attention has been drawn to a report calling on the National Co-ordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, to step down from his position.
“The call was credited to one Razak Balogun, who was said to have made the call while on a courtesy call to the office of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“Ordinarily, I would have disregarded the story as another ranting of a drowning man, but have decided to react to it for the sake of clarification.
“The said Razak Balogun, who described himself as an acting President of the group, was indeed dismissed from the organization about five months ago for anti-congress activities by the Lagos State Coordinator of OPC, Alhaji Mutair Adeshina which was widely published.
“Razak Balogun was the acting coordinator of the organisation in Shomolu. He has proven to be a man without focus.
“However, one thing must be known by all good-intentioned members of the public.
“The activities of these men have not come to me as a surprise. Among every 12 disciples, there is always a Judas.
These groups of people have proved to be the Judas within the ranks of the OPC. And the biblical Judas, we are waiting to see how things turn out for them.
“For the benefit of the general public who are being fed with wrong information, I would love to say that the leadership of the OPC is not something that can be discussed by a few disgruntled people just because they have failed to realise their ambition of enriching themselves.
“In 1999, when Otunba Gani Adams emerged as the leader of the organisation, Ifa oracle was consulted and the entire members of the National Executive Council met to deliberate on the advice of Ifa.
And like true sons and daughters of Oodua, it was unanimously agreed that we should abide with what Ifa had said and based on his antecedents as a good resourceful manager since the inception of the group in 1994.
“Traditionally in Yorubaland, you don’t remove a king until death, except of course if the king commits an unpardonable sin.
It is the same vain with the leadership of Afenifere, Yoruba Council of Elders, some stable and consistent self-determination groups in Yoruba land.
“Even at that, I think Otunba Adams deserves the respect of all for his efforts to make the organisation grow. It is to his credit that the OPC, as it is known today, has grown from a mere organisation that is usually attached with miscreants to an organisation in the forefront of cultural revival in Nigeria.
“It is to his credit that the OPC has acquired several acres of land in five states across Yoruba land in preparation towards building befitting hotels in each of these states.
Today, among our members are lawyers, bankers and several highly-respected professionals.
“Today, we have a new organisation, the Oodua Progressives Union (OPU), an organisation set up to bring together every Yoruba sons and daughters in the Diaspora.
As I speak, the OPU has been launched in more than 58 countries of the world, with more than 10 in Africa and Europe slated for launching very soon.
“I will, however, wish to advise members of the public most especially respected Nigeria Union of Journalists and its Oyo State Chapter to henceforth disregard this group of people and their evil plan to cause disaffection within the ranks of the OPC because most of the journalists in Lagos are well informed about their nefarious and diabolic acts and penchants for peddling falsehood.
They are all bunch of disgruntled people seeking for new ways to redeem themselves from their self-inflicted destruction.