MICHAEL AKINOLA
Amidst the tension over the last Presidential election in Lagos State, an ethnic organization known as Yoruba Self Determination Coalition, has called for caution and advised the residents to eschew any form of violence during the Governorship and State Assembly elections coming up on 11th March, 2023.
P.M.EXPRESS reports as was disclosed by the spokesperson of the group, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, during a press conference held in Lagos State as they called for peaceful co-existence among the residents in the State.
He explained that the group is the conglomerate of different Yoruba Non-Governmental organizations founded to defend the interest of Yoruba race, advancement of cultural heritage, promotion of socioeconomic and fundamental rights of Yoruba people as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
He stated that in view of organization roles, styles of operations and increased tension as Nigerians scrambling and struggling for daily needs due to the recent CBN harsh policy on Naira redesign, fuel scarcity, kidnapping and banditry, the group called on political gladiators to stop heating up the polity and threatening of our social existence as a sovereign nation.
Comrade Omotehinse stated that based on the group’s field survey and information on the public domain over the last presidential election across Nigeria, the election has thrown up diverse opinions especially to Lagos aborigines. To some, the outcome was not acceptable while the non-indigenes saw it as the confirmation of their presence of the political space in the State.
“Ours is not to be drawn in for or against the position of the people, but to put it succinctly so as to shape the minds of Nigerians irrespective of their sex, religion, tribe, to eschew violence, intimidation, harassment of one another as the gist on the street of Lagos symbolizes and epitomizes showdown from all, hence, we call for harmonious peaceful co-existence.”
He noted that the group was aware of tribal sentiments put up in the public domain (Yoruba /Igbo dichotomy) towards 11th March, 2023 Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections by political actors to gain sympathy from the electorate, which is invariably heating up the polity and may end up causing voting apathy, disenfranchisement of Lagos residents to perform their civil responsibility if not addressed by the constituted authority to disabuse the mind of the people.
“As a mass-based organization guided by Oodua philosophy, equipped with intellectual capability and armed with street credibility, have mobilized our members and like minds on the look out across the South-Western State to forestall, maintain peace and order and rise in unison to defend the people in case of people hellbent in causing chaos and mayhem.”
“Demands:
We call on INEC, as umpire, to be fair to all and conduct free and transparent election that will stand the test of time.
We also urge the security agencies that will be on duty to be impartial and discharge their duties as enshrined in the electoral law and the political office seekers across political divide to be law abiding and stop over-heating the polity and seek legal redress through legal process in the case of any discrepancy in the process.”