Professor Adebanji Akintoye
Ilana Omo Oodua, Akintoye part ways over ‘politics’
Pan-Yoruba group, Ilana Omo Oodua, has announced parting with its leader, Professor Adebanji Akintoye.
The group in a statement, Thursday, said it could not reconcile a difference of vision shared with Prof Akintoye, adding that while it wished to remain apolitical, the latter was projecting to use the group as ‘a political structure’
A statement by Otunba Shade Olatunji, on behalf of the group read during a press conference in Lagos, said it has decided to separate its Alana from the main body of Ilana Omo Oodua of Professor Akintoye.
“Prof Akintoye somewhere along the line, went back to his first love, politics and politics played the one Nigeria way. This started to manifest as a desire to be the father of all Yoruba self-determination groups which included those hedging their bets, those out to line their pockets, outright politicians out to use Ilana as a political structure, and most dangerous of all, political jobbers out to destroy Ilana,” Olatunji said.
Olatunji explained that, while several allegations were leveled against Akintoye, the group defended him but “the avalanche of accusations got to a stage that we had to adopt the strategy of least said but soonest mended.”
She also disclosed that while the Ilana structure was under bombardment, the group warned Professor Akintoye that it would not allow him endanger the struggle for a Yoruba nation but Akintoye wouldn’t listen.
“He instead started telling us that he installed us and can remove us. We cannot allow Prof Banji Akintoye to truncate the dreams of millions of people. So as of today, 18 November 2021, Ilana Omo Oodua is stepping aside from Prof Banji Akintoye, freeing him to become the father and supreme commander of the Amalgamated self-determination groups.”
