By Joyce Babayeju
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has urged former Lagos State governor and national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, to speak up in defense of the Yoruba race amidst the crisis that has rocked South-West states in recent times.
Frank, who made the call in a statement on Monday, also decried the spate of insecurity in the country, especially in the South-West with reference to the recent Oyo crisis.
He said it was high time the APC leader broke his silence and spoke up against the attacks in his region, stressing that his continued silence did not portray him as a leader with the interest of his people at heart.
Frank alleged that Tinubu’s silence over time was simply because of his ‘selfish’ political ambition to run for presidency in 2023.
He said: “The crisis in the South-West should be solely blamed on Tinubu who foisted Buhari on Nigerians and especially on the South-West.
“How can Tinubu continue to keep mute over the attacks in Oyo State and other South-West states?
“Tinubu is a leader of the Yorubas in the South-West. Asiwaju cannot be silent over matters involving threats to life, peace and security of his people.
“His continued silence has become too loud, especially owing to the fact that he was the major influence and the reason the Yorubas voted massively for Buhari in 2015.
“He does not want to shatter his relationship with Buhari which in turn, by his calculation, would attract the President’s nod for him to have a shot at the presidency come 2023.
“But as a leader of the region, Tinubu should speak against the attacks against his people and not be driven by his selfish 2023 presidential ambition.”
The Bayelsa-born activist added: “Nigeria is more divided under Buhari than it has ever been before. Buhari’s government has polarised the country across religious and ethnic lines.
“This government is so clueless and incompetent that it recognises and shows a soft hand on terrorist groups like Boko Haram, killer herdsmen and bandits, but sadly mete out cruelty on innocent and patriotic Nigerians.
“Look at the number of security personnel it sent to wickedly dehumanise and arrest peaceful #EndsSARS protesters at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.
“Yet, the Buhari government can’t send a similar proportion of law enforcement agencies after killer herdsmen.
The activist, however, urged all Nigerians and especially the leaders in the South-West to unite and fight the common enemy: insecurity.
He urged other regions to also join in the fight, warning that if the trend is allowed to fester, sooner or later, the crisis of insecurity may grow out of proportion in every region of the country.
