Our Reporter, Abuja
Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development and spokesman of the African DemocraticCongress (ADC), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has condemned what he described as a coordinated attempt by supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to mobilise the Yoruba and South-West people against former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, for exercising his democratic rights.
In a post on Monday via his X handle, Abdullahi said it was “incredible” that Aregbesola was being demonised simply for choosing to align with the Nigerian people, stressing that such actions were undemocratic and dangerous for the nation’s unity.
He recalled that after the June 12 election crisis, Nigerians, in a rare act of political consensus, supported a Yoruba man, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to lead the country in the interest of healing and national cohesion. Abdullahi noted that during Obasanjo’s administration, no one opposed him more vociferously than Tinubu, who, as Lagos State governor, even created an alternative power base. Yet, he said, Tinubu was never accused of betraying the Yoruba race, despite his disagreements with Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural group.
“Attempts to demonise Aregbesola and other Yoruba leaders in the opposition are undemocratic and disgraceful. They are also inimical to the long-term political interests of the Yoruba people,” Abdullahi declared.
He further cautioned against reducing Yoruba politics to mere tribal and personal loyalty, warning that such a narrative was “wrong and dangerous.”
He also criticised the alleged involvement of Sunday Igboho, a self-styled ethnic warlord, in the campaign against Aregbesola, describing it as an unhealthy escalation.
While acknowledging that Aregbesola was capable of defending himself, Abdullahi insisted that the broader issue was an assault on freedom and tolerance.
“As a party, we condemn this act of intolerance and assault on freedom. It must cease immediately,” he added.
