Emeritus Professor, Banji Akintoye, the President General of the Yoruba World Congress (YWC) has denied saying President Muhammadu Buhari could be Nigeria’s last President. He stated that Nigerians, including the Yoruba people have a right to secede from the country, saying it is a right guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
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Prof. Akintoye stated further that while the YWC supports the right of the Yoruba people to demand to leave Nigeria, they must not resort to violence to achieve their aims.
Excerpts from his statement read;
“Nigerians have constitutional rights to organise peaceful protest over the state of the nation and have the right to demand to leave Nigeria, however, the YWC, has cautioned the Yoruba people against the use of force or violence.“
“I have said in meetings, messages and other interviews that our youths should be peaceful and law abiding in all their actions.
I have never said anything about October 1st other than that if anybody insist on rallies in Nigeria on October 1st, they should observe uttermost peace and respect for the law.
“That they must not regard law enforcement agents as enemies; that if the police order them to disperse, they should do so and never argue with the police.”
“There are suggestions that some persons who are bent on discrediting me in order to destroy the YWC and stop the Yoruba aspirations are behind these distortions, but I will review contacts with some media outlets to unmask these cowards.“