South-West governors and the apex Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Wednesday differed on the All Progressives Congress leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s position on the Western Nigerian Security Network, Operation Amotekun.
The governors commended the former Lagos State governor and promised to look into the issues he raised, but Afenifere hit Tinubu hard, saying his statement lacked substance.
After almost three weeks of silence on the launching of Amotekun, Tinubu on Wednesday made his position known on the security outfit, which was launched by the South-West governors in Ibadan on January 9.
Afenifere chieftains, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Senator Femi Okurounmu, had, in a report published by Sunday PUNCH on January 19, challenged Tinubu to speak on the security outfit, which the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on Thursday last week declared illegal.
Tinubu made objective observations – Akeredolu
Reacting to Tinubu’s statement, Akeredolu commended him.
The governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Security, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, said it was commendable for Tinubu to have broken silence on the issue.
He said, “We have to commend our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, for his comments. As a leader who loves his people, he has made objective observations in his statement.
“In the comment he could see that the Operation Amotekun can never be a threat to the unity of the country and that the people of the South-West needed to be protected by their governors. Also, all other issues he pointed out in the statement would be looked into. But he has spoken well.”
Tinubu’s comment warmly received – DAWN
DAWN’s Head, Special Projects and Funding, Prince Adetayo Adeleke-Adedoyin, said the comment of Tinubu on Operation Amotekun was well conceived and warmly taken.
In a telephone conversation with our correspondent, Adeleke-Adedoyin said, “Asiwaju’s comment on Operation Amotekun is welcomed. He is from the region and he is a national leader also.”
But the Afenifere dismissed the statement by the former Lagos State governor, saying it lacked substance.
It said Tinubu spoke in a forked tongue, adding that his statement failed to defend the decision taken by his kinsmen to defend themselves against marauders.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, in an interview with The PUNCH, recalled how the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), visited the then Oyo State Governor, Lam Adesina, to protest the alleged killing of his kinsmen.
He said, “Maybe, he (Tinubu) should have kept quiet. This is not the time to speak in a forked tongue. What is the reason? You are afraid of Buhari?
Source: Punch Newspaper
