Ilana Omo Oodua disowns leader over political tendencies, others

Akintoye denies allegations, says it’s a ploy to scuttle Yoruba Nation agitation

The Yoruba Nation determination group, Ilana Omo Oodua, has disowned Prof. Banji Akintoye as its leader over what it described as irreconcilable differences, mismanagement of funds and political tendencies.

It said that contrary to popular opinion that the renowned historian was the founder of the group, he was only appointed as leader in 2018 during the Freedom Park proclamation.

The group also noted that Ilana Omo Oodua is apolitical and cannot be a part of calls for restructuring or one Nigeria. Vice Chairman of the group, Otunba Shade Olukoya, while speaking with newsmen, yesterday, said that having Akintoye as the leader of the group would truncate the dreams of millions of people.

She added that there had been allegations, accusations and counter-accusations of monies being paid to Akintoye either directly or through proxies, which are never accounted for.

Olukoya further said that one of the undertakings of the group was not to get involved in politics but focus on its determination to become a nation through laid down process of the United Nations (UN).

MEANWHILE, Akintoye has raised the alarm that the Federal Government had recruited some political jobbers cum reactionaries masquerading as agitators to blackmail him to sabotage the Yoruba Nation struggle.

The Ado-Ekiti-born renowned historian said credible intelligence available to him showed that political contractors had been paid in dollars and naira to wage war against him and some of his trusted aides for refusing to compromise against the teeming Yoruba people.

He said a world press conference allegedly being sponsored by the government had been scheduled to blackmail and silence him. Akintoye, however, said that all the evil plans of these “locusts” against him and the Yoruba people shall fail, stating that “they are only destroying, and building a bad history for themselves.”

In a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists by his Communications Secretary, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, the agitator said he had tolerated those reactionaries for too long but they are never satisfied with everything he did to please them. He said all what they were after in the struggle is self-recognition.