A Yoruba group, Maja-Maja, has cautioned those castigating former President Olusegun Obasanjo, over his act of asking Oke-Ogun traditional rulers present at the commissioning ceremony of some projects executed by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in Iseyin on Friday to stand up to greet the governor.
The Maja-Maja specifically warned those using the opportunity to reignite their “satanic lie” that the former President is an Igboman and not a Yorubaman to desist from such act in the best interest of the Yoruba race and posterity.
The Obasanjo’s directive that the Oke-Ogun kings present at the project commissioning should stand up to greet Governor Makinde has continued to attract criticism from different quartets, with many people saying that the former President’s action amounted to disrespect for the Yoruba traditional institution.
But the group in a statement by its Chairman, Comrade Adesina Akinpelu, noted that what Obasanjo did at the Iseyin programme was just to ensure that the monarchs observed established protocol, although the approach might not be good enough.
Akinpelu maintained that Obasanjo, even as a sitting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has always shown respect for Yoruba traditional rulers as evident in some of the pictures and videos being circulated on the social media since Friday.
He said Obasanjo might appear to be too blunt as a result of his military background, those who have political scores to settle with him within the Yorubaland should not be allowed to cause unnecessary disaffecting between the former President and the monarchs.
The group noted that Obasanjo is a Yoruba political leader of our time, who should be given his due recognition.
