Akintoye relinquishes leadership of Ilana Omo Oduduwa to Adeniran

Leader of the Yoruba self-determination group, Prof. Banji Akintoye, has officially relinquished the chairmanship position of Ilana Omo Oduduwa to Prof. Wale Adeniran, who he now referred to as the new helmsman of the organisation.

In a letter dated December 5, 2022 and addressed to Ilana Omo Oodua through Adeniran, the immediate past leader of the group said he could no longer continue to combine the responsibilities of Ilana with that of the Yoruba self-determination group he is heading, owing to age factor and other exigencies.

Akintoye said he was not leaving Ilana because of the difficulties in the organisation.

“Even the greatest of difficulties never made me quit. I am imbued with a God-given confidence that I can bear all things and solve the most tortuous complications among men, because God in His mercy has given me the gift of a heart that loves all persons in all situations,” he stated.

He, however, appealed to Adeniran for forgiveness for leaving llana to him (Adeniran) in its current condition but encouraged the new helmsman not to be dismayed or discouraged by extremists, who he said, are still compounding the difficulties in the organisation.

He further said: “I have much confidence in you, including confidence that you will find ways to steer Ilana back to the path of compromise, unity and strength.

“I must congratulate and thank you for your very high quality of leadership in this struggle for our embattled nation. I must congratulate and thank you particularly for your bearing with strength and fortitude the frequent vilifications and false accusations.”

The letter stated: “I hereby inform Ilana Omo Oodua through you of my departure from further responsibilities in llana. I urge you and all others not to think that this step is a consequence of recent difficulties in llana. As you know better than any other person, I have been seeking for over a year now to take my leave from Ilana because combining the duties of llana with the duties of the greatly elevated demands of the self-determination struggle has been too heavy for me at my age.

“I am greatly honoured that you as the closest person to me in llana, most llana members and all Ilana committees, have for months been urging me not to leave llana because, according to you all, Ilana is my special ‘baby’ in the whole self-determination struggle. But you would remember that in a special meeting of leaders of the self-determination struggle from all over the world about a month ago, you and all agreed graciously that I should give up my duties in llana because of my heavy accumulation of duties to the higher levels of the whole struggle.”