Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has condemned the attack on
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying; “humiliation of Tinubu is as good as
humiliation of the Yoruba race.”
The governor 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, Governor 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 governor condemned the Tuesday, 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.”
Governor 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.”