Yoruba groups’ meeting ends in disarray, members harass convener

The second meeting of the Assembly of All Yoruba Groups Worldwide in Ibadan , Oyo State, on Thursday , ended in disarray.
The meeting was held at the House of Chiefs , Oyo State Secretariat.
The meeting , which had in attendance many Yoruba groups like the Oodua People ’ s Congress ( Fredrick Faseun ’s faction ) OPC New Era , Yoruba Youth Socio – Cultural Organisation and other groups from Kwara and Kogi states, was disrupted while the Chief Convener , Victor Taiwo , was addressing the gathering.
Taiwo , who is the author of the book , ‘ Nigeria on gunpowder : The climax of misrule ’ , had circulated his speech but he was heckled by some supporters of Prof. Banji Akintoye , who pre – empted him on the leadership crisis that hit the Yoruba World Congress.
Akintoye had announced the change of name of the YWC to Ilana Omo Oodua on Sunday .
But Taiwo said in speech that he was the initiator of the Yoruba Council of Elders under the leadership of the late Pa Emmanuel Alayande .
He also said Akintoye degenerated from the status of a Yoruba leader to President -General of the YWC and now President of a splinter group , Ilana Omo Oduduwa , without followers , which he pronounced to the world on October 24 , 2020 .
But while still reading the speech, the representative of Prof . Akintoye , Kunle Adesokan , interrupted him and others joined him .
The meeting became rowdy and some leaders left. Efforts to calm down the agitated persons were abortive .
The Baale Ekotedo , Ibadan , Chief Taiwo Ayorinde , made efforts to calm them down but his attempts failed.
“ When I was talking in the morning , I said we did not come here to remove Banji Akintoye. But we heard that he has gone to another group ,” he stated .
But Mr Akinola George said nobody could remove Akintoye as Yoruba leader, because those who were elected into that office before him were never removed .
He said, “ You cannot elect him Yoruba leader and now say you want to remove him . Chief Awolowo was Yoruba leader until he died; Chief Adekujke Ajasin was elected Yoruba leader and he was Yoruba leader until he died. Akintoye will remain Yoruba leader until he dies .”
The Publicity Secretary of the OPC , Lawal Kazeem , asked those remaining if they still wanted Akintoye to remain the Yoruba leader by voice vote .
Although not everybody said yes, there was no one who opposed it .
After that, leaders of the various groups affirmed the leadership of Akintoye.
The President , Yoruba Youth Socio -Cultural Association , Mr Olalekan Hammed , also affirmed the support of the group to the leadership of Akintoye.
The meeting ended abruptly without discussing the main purpose of the gathering .