POLITICAL IMPASSE: We know outright winners compared to losers, don’t allow Kano erupt, Yoruba in state warn Tinubu [FULL TEXT]

*Call Obas of Yoruba Land to engage President to wade in on impasse

*Worried Yoruba will suffer in erupted Kano over ongoing injustice

*As statement ‘political power not with leaders but talakawas in Kano’ re-evhoed

By OUR REPORTER

Traditional Rulers of Yoruna Land of South West Nigeria have been called upon to prevail on their son in the position of President, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with a view to engaging him on wading into the political situation in Kano State before it is too late.

This call was made by Concerned Yoruba Community in Kano through a text of press conference address jointly signed by Alhaji Nuraddeen Yahaya, Chairman, Concerned Yoruba Community, Kano State Chapter, and Comrade Taofeek Olalekan Olaosebikan, National Youths Coordinator
Yoruba Community Northern States and Abuja.

“For one, we know the political tradition here in Kano and the issues surrounding such positions. In the case of the last election cycle in Kano, we know how the election went and the outright winners compared to the losers. And this is our major concern right now.

“It is some form of Deja Vu! We are very worried that the unfolding political situation will have adverse effects on us the Yoruba in Kano. History is there to enlighten us better.

“Kano is a very volatile state politically and this is the reason why all men and women of goodwill should be concerned about the situation in Kano and rally round towards a collective initiative to save the state from any calamity which will affect us and our livelihood,” they said.

According to the Yoruba group, Tinubu is told ahead of time why Kano must not be allowed to erupt as the adverse effect will not augur well for anyone especially the Yoruba people in the politically volatile Northern Nigerian state.

“In this regard. we are using this platform to call on all Youruba Obas and leaders of thought to wade into the Kano situation without further delay by engaging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a possible political settlement of the Kano logjam.

“Kano must not be allowed to erupt into such preventable chaos as it happened in the past,” the Concerned Yoruba Community Kano State Chapter said.

The Yoruba in Kano were the second major voice to speak out since The DEFENDER reported “testrun of ‘righteous violence ‘” that over a million voters of Kano said would follow any unresolved attempt to overturn their mandate to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in the March 18 election in the state.

Only in Thursday, stakeholders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state raised the alarm over planned violence by the same voters, whose only demand is “give us justice and peace will reign”.

This fast growing globalised multilingual online newspaper reports that thosevwho are raising alarm understand the statement: “In Kano, political power is not in the hands of leaders but with the talakawa”, meaning that whatever avoidable consequences are allowed to follow the ingoing plot to deny the people of their mandate through the manipulative use of court will not be blamed on the leaders.

Read full text of the statement below:

Being text of an address by the Concerned Yoruba Community in Kano at a press conference on current developments in Kano over the sack of the State Governor, Abba Yusuf by the Appeal Court.

Held at Dallas Hotel, No.6 Weather Head by France Rd, Sabongari, Kano

Thursday 23rd Nov. 2023

Gentlemen of the Press, we warmly welcome you all to this press conference which we have called to address some crucial issues as they affect us in relation to the prevailing political situation in Kano since the Appeal Court sacked the state Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Of course, you are all living witnesses to the whole developments which are clearly suggesting ill-winds because of the anticipated threat to peace and stability in the state.

Importantly, we the Yoruba in Kano have been here long enough to articulate and appreciate the political tendencies here and implications for our common good. For the record, many of us were born and raised in Kano, indeed, we have become “Kano indigenes” in some strategic sense. This is our home as we have come to acknowledge and appreciate our stay in Kano and indeed our economic sustenance, wellbeing and development. Our children are doing fine in schools here as well as many of different ages engaged in one activity or the other. So Kano is our home and we are happy being here.

THE UNFOLDING POLITICAL SITUATION:

For one, we know the political tradition here in Kano and the issues surrounding such positions. In the case of the last election cycle in Kano, we know how the election went and the outright winners compared to the losers. And this is our major concern right now. It is some form of Deja Vu! We are very worried that the unfolding political situation will have adverse effects on us the Yoruba in Kano. History is there to enlighten us better. Kano is a very volatile state politically and this is the reason why all men and women of goodwill should be concerned about the situation in Kano and rally round towards a collective initiative to save the state from any calamity which will affect us and our livelihood.

In this regard. we are using this platform to call on all Youruba Obas and leaders of thought to wade into the Kano situation without further delay by engaging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a possible political settlement of the Kano logjam.

Kano must not be allowed to erupt into such preventable chaos as it happened in the past. Of course, many enlightened minds believe very strongly that what we are witnessing in Kano today has a strong relationship with political elite interference in the political results and mandate so obviously given to Abba Kabir Yusuf by the citizens of the state. There must thus be an elite formation to quickly come together and talk with Mr. President so that he sees beyond whatever briefing he is getting on Kano by vested interests within and outside his party, and act as a statesman! It is clear to all that the NNPP won the state. Take a look at the results across board. 2 senators out of 3, 18 rep members out of 24, and 26 out of 40 assembly members. Is it the same people who voted this way that will accept a situation where the Governor they elected is removed by some technicality? The answer is a resounding NO!

Kano must not be allowed to burn on the altar of political expediency or interest, or calculation towards 2027 for that matter. We must face the truth!

In spite of the pronouncements by the courts, we must never forget that Governor Abba Yusuf’s party, won in 2019 but were denied the victory. Now in 2023, the same scenario is unfolding which is already being met with resistance.

For our interest, the Yoruba in Kano, we are using this platform to call on our leading obas and leaders to come to our assistance by engaging President Bola Tinubu on the political situation in Kano. The average man already believes that the judiciary has been interfered with. We are hereby calling on our fathers, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, to intervene without further delay.

We are also calling on the Oba of Lagos, Alake of Egba, Awujale of Ijebuland, Olubadan of Ibadan and other Yoruba leading lights to come to our aid as we won’t find it easy if the situation degenerates further as we actually expect that it would. The people here will believe that they were cheated on by a Yoruba President. That is the word going round now. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.

Gentlemen of the press. we thank you all for your attention

Alhaji Nuraddeen Yahaya
Chairman, Concerned Yoruba Community, Kano State Chapter

Comrade Taofeek Olalekan Olaosebikan
National Youths Coordinator
Yoruba Community Northern States and Abuja