APC feud: Fayose condemns attack on Tinubu

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose,
has condemned the attack on Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, saying the “humiliation of Tinubu is
as good as (the) humiliation of the Yoruba
race.”
The governor said allowing the National
Leader of the All Progressives Congress to
be embarrassed like past Yoruba leaders
would not be in the interest of the race.
Speaking through his Special Assistant on
Public Communications and New Media,
Lere Olayinka, 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.
“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 governor condemned the Tuesday
sponsored protest against the APC leader
at the party’s national secretariat.
Some youth groups had protested in Abuja
to condemn Tinubu for demanding the
resignation of the APC National Chairman,
John Odigie-Oyegun, over his role in the
Ondo Governorship primaries that produced
former Nigerian Bar Association President,
Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
Oyegun reportedly overruled the majority
decision of the National Working Committee
of the APC that voted for cancellation of the
primaries.
Fayose said, “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 he tried
to prevent his (Osinbajo) emergence as
President Mohammadu Buhari’s running
mate. This is sad!
“When other tribes protect their own, it is
becoming historically common among the
Yoruba 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 Yoruba with the
external aggressors.”
Fayose argued that Tinubu is a prominent
stakeholder and people should not watch
while those he used his own sweat to make
conspire 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 such
as 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 a 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 Yoruba, added, “We are first
Yoruba 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.”