From an unlikely quarter came a support for the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the battle for the soul of the ruling party in Nigeria.
Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on Friday condemned what he called the “conspiracy against Asiwaju Tinubu by those he made that are now being allegedly used against him warning those hoping to reap political benefits in the APC crisis to have a rethink.
Fayose who belongs to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in condemning the attack on the former Lagos State governor emphasized that “humiliation of Tinubu is as good as humiliation of the Yoruba race.”
The self-styled “Opposition Leader in Nigeria” declared that he won’t keep silent in the face of attack on a revered Yoruba leader like Tinubu stressing that “Yoruba leaders must be protected.”
He recalled that similar attacks were visited on Yoruba icons like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Bisi Onabanjo (all of blessed memory), Alhaji Lateef Jakande, among others.
Fayose said: “Even though I am not a member of APC and I will never be, I have elected to stand in defence of the Yoruba nation once again by saying no to the continuous dishonourable treatment being meted to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, having paid his dues.”
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose, said; “if Tinubu is allowed to be embarrassed and disgraced just the way our past leaders were humiliated by these same elements, the Yoruba nation would have been made to suffer for uprightness.”
The Ekiti helmsman condemned the Tuesday’s alleged sponsored protest against the APC leader at the party’s national secretariat, saying; “it is unfortunate that Tinubu is now being vilified in a party he invested heavily in and his fellow kinsmen that he brought up politically are part of this conspiracy.
“In their desperation, they have even tried to set him against the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, by insinuating that tried to prevent his (Osinbajo) emergence as President Mohammadu Buhari’s running mate, this is sad!”
He lamented that “when other tribes protect own, it is becoming historically common among the Yorubas to allow themselves to be used against their leaders just for momentary political gains at the expense of the collective interests of the Yoruba nation.
“It should be noted that late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was sent to jail by the conspiracy and collaboration of some Yorubas with the external aggressors.”
Fayose said: “Tinubu is a prominent stakeholder; we should not sit back and watch while those he used his own sweat to make conspired with others to humiliate him.
“Most importantly, it is my position that irrespective of political affiliation, no leader of the Yoruba nation must be vilified unduly, especially by the same people who humiliated our past leaders like Obafemi Awolowo, Adekunle Ajasin, Bola Ige, Bisi Onabanjo, Lateef Jakande and others.
“To me, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should not be seen just as an APC leader, but acknowledged as a major stakeholder in the Yoruba nation that we must all protect beyond politics.
”It should be recalled that these were among the issues that I raised when I visited Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State few months ago on the need to work together beyond party affiliations.
“Here in Yorubaland, it is said that if a household is at peace, it is because the bastard child of the family is yet to attain the age of maturity and those people that Asiwaju Tinubu made, but are now being used against him should watch it.
“I therefore condemn this conspiracy against Asiwaju Tinubu and I admonish those that are hoping to make political benefits from it to have a rethink.”
The governor, who called for greater unity among the Yorubas, added that; “We are first Yorubas before becoming members of political parties, it is my opinion that our leaders must be defended and protected not-minding the personal gains of today.”
