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| Gani Adams |
The 'protest' by some members of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in Lagos was uncalled for. It should not have happened. The move could lead to a fresh arms struggle within the Yoruba self-determination group.
Otunba Gani Adams should have limited whatever misgivings he has against INEC or APC to a well-crafted press statement. The Boys should not have been involved at all. It was very wrong.
Bringing out the boys could be defended if "Abuja" (the federal government) was involved in harassing a Yoruba Governor or Leader. It smacks of a nonchalant attitude to "Ibura" to bring out the Boys in support of Abuja against ANY Oodua son, moreso when it has not been established that Abuja is backing the person the protest was aimed at. OPC - in its true sense and purpose - is anti-Abuja. Whoever is dragging the organisation towards Abuja is only working against himself or herself given the spirit of Ibura. Our Ile Ileri is not in Abuja. So, nobody in Abuja should set us against ourselves.
I sincerely hope persons with a genuine commitment to Yoruba self-determination struggle step in before a recourse to weapons of war starts. Adams is backing President Goodluck Jonathan, thus PDP, in this month election. But not many people are discerning enough to realise it is not automatic for ALL OPC members to follow the same political direction. OPC consists of men and women with individual free-will despite its military outlook.
The protest has already open a hitherto hidden crack on the Adams side of the OPC divide. The cadres who addressed a press conference in Lagos yesterday consist of the military engine room of the organisation, while those on the socio-cultural side are largely with Adams. Of course, a confrontation is inevitable if the matter at hand is not managed properly.
Those who assisted the organisation in its time of need, not those benefiting from its name today, need to step in the gap urgently to avoid a fresh orgy of blood-letting across Yorubaland.
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