A rights group, the Yoruba Rights, has strongly condemned the statement credited to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, describing majority of Yoruba obas as “useless” and “sell-outs”.

The group in a statement signed by its secretary, Wasiu Adeyemi, described the statement by Tinubu, the immediate past governor of Lagos State, as an insult to the entire Yoruba race and calculated to ridicule and bring the entire traditional institution to disrepute and odium.

“Consequently, we give Tinubu seven days to deny the statement by putting up full page colour advertisement in fire major newspapers, apologising to our respected traditional rulers. Failure to do so shall cause us to embark on a campaign throughout the federation during electioneering campaign,” Yoruba Rights said.

The statement described Yoruba traditional rulers as gods on earth who deserve to be revered, rather than ridiculed as Tinubu has done.

According to Yoruba Rights, “Our royal fathers are very special to us and there are lots of emotion attached to our relationship with them. In fact, in the Yoruba tradition, they are regarded as representatives of The Almighty on earth. We would, therefore, not stand by and watch as a group of irresponsible politicians drag their names in the mud.”

News Express recalls that Yoruba Rights had six days ago at a press conference in Lagos condemned the statement allegedly made by Tinubu on May 9 in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, during the Juma prayer to mark the 80th birthday of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.

Speaking at the press conference, Yoruba Rights Secretary Adeyemi had said: “What do you expect from a bread and butter politician like Asiwaju?

“Someone who came out as Amoda Olaosebikan at Aroloya Primary School in Lagos had no secondary school record, only to return to Nigeria with a Toronto certificate. The question is, what type of statement do you expect from such a personality? It is only in Nigeria, especially South-west, that a group of never-do-well can hijack power in a most fraudulent manner, hoodwinking the people, pretending to be working for their interest while in fact; they are busy pursing selfish interest.

“Indeed, how do you explain it, that a man spent eight years as chief executive of a state, installed his wife as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, installed his daughter’s husband as a member of House of Representatives in Abuja, installed his wife’s sister as a member of Lagos State house of Assembly and finally installed his daughter as Iya-Oja General of Lagos State?”

•Photo shows Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

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