Yoruba Nation Leaders Reject Akintoye, Adeniran Resignation

Concerned Leaders of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide (IOOW) have rejected the resignation letters of the leader of the group, Prof Banji Akintoye and the National Chairman of the group, Prof Wale Adeniran.

Recall that Akintoye had in early December resigned from his position and was succeeded by Prof Wale Adeniran, his former deputy, who on Saturday announced his own resignation from the organisation.

Addressing newsmen at the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday, the spokesperson of the Concerned Leaders of IOOW, which is an affiliate of the Yoruba self-determination group, Femi Afolabi, said that the group has revalidated and reaffirmed Akintoye, an emeritus professor of History and Second Republic Senator, as the leader of the IOOW, without reservation.

He said, “it was with a rude shock that we received the letter of resignation of Prof Akintoye from Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide dated December, 5th 2022. For the avoidance of doubt, we need to state unequivocally that we reject Prof Akintoye’s letter of resignation and hereby revalidate and reaffirm him without reservation as leader.

“Also, we are not unaware of the campaign of calumny by some pseudo Yoruba nationalists, who are paid to malign and destroy the hard-earned reputation of Prof Akintoye based on puerile and pedestrian allegations that cannot pass a kindergarten test of empirical verification.

“We urge Prof Akintoye not to despair and dispirited. We feel his pains of advancing the Yoruba cause even in the most inconvenient manner in exile by deploying his meager resources derived mostly from his pension allowances, stipends from his children and occasional royalties from the books authored by him to execute the Yoruba agenda programmes.

“Nevertheless, as a group, we note with utmost gratitude and satisfaction Prof Akintoye’s intellectual engagements with select member nations of the community that are sympathetic to the Yoruba liberation from internal slavery and colonization in a non-violent manner.

“We are equally satisfied and happy with the selfless leadership roles he has played towards the realization of the Yoruba self-determination project. We affirm that Prof Akintoye still remains the face of our collective resolve to liberate our people from the contraption called Nigeria. No other person is known to us in this regard.”