Babatope Warns Obasanjo...
A former minister of transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope has issued a stern warning to former president, Olusegun Obasanjo over his statement on Yoruba leadership.
Obasanjo had written in his book, titled, “My Watch: Political and Public Affairs,” that no individual can be regarded as the leader of the Yoruba people and that there was nothing like Yoruba leadership in Yoruba land.
Babatope on Wednesday, August 5, warned the former president to never say that the supporters of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo made him Yoruba leader and not the entire Yoruba people, Daily Independent reports.
According to the former minister, who is die-hard supporter of the late Awolowo, Obasanjo should produce evidence to back up his claim or keep quiet.
“I believe that Obasanjo was wrong in what he said about Chief Awolowo even though he has every right to his own opinion. But the opinion he expressed about Chief Awolowo was wrong and I have pointed that out to him that it was very, very wrong”.
“For example, he made mention of the fact that a meeting that took place in Ibadan in 1966 that many didn’t agree with Awolowo’s choice as leader. That is not true. There was no dissenting opinion when Awolowo’s name was submitted. It was a meeting that was attended by nearly all politicians of different schools in Yorubaland at that time.”
He therefore, warned Obasnjo to never repeat such statement in future.
Obasanjo has been airing his opinion on different issues, from tarnishing the image of immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan to criticising bad journalism.
He had claimed that the immediate past coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, changed under the regime of Jonathan.
Obasanjo had written in his book, titled, “My Watch: Political and Public Affairs,” that no individual can be regarded as the leader of the Yoruba people and that there was nothing like Yoruba leadership in Yoruba land.
Babatope on Wednesday, August 5, warned the former president to never say that the supporters of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo made him Yoruba leader and not the entire Yoruba people, Daily Independent reports.
According to the former minister, who is die-hard supporter of the late Awolowo, Obasanjo should produce evidence to back up his claim or keep quiet.
“I believe that Obasanjo was wrong in what he said about Chief Awolowo even though he has every right to his own opinion. But the opinion he expressed about Chief Awolowo was wrong and I have pointed that out to him that it was very, very wrong”.
“For example, he made mention of the fact that a meeting that took place in Ibadan in 1966 that many didn’t agree with Awolowo’s choice as leader. That is not true. There was no dissenting opinion when Awolowo’s name was submitted. It was a meeting that was attended by nearly all politicians of different schools in Yorubaland at that time.”
He therefore, warned Obasnjo to never repeat such statement in future.
Obasanjo has been airing his opinion on different issues, from tarnishing the image of immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan to criticising bad journalism.
He had claimed that the immediate past coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, changed under the regime of Jonathan.
