The Abiodun Akinlade Group, TAAG says moves by the lawmaker representing Lagos West senatorial district in the ninth Assembly, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly called Yayi, to legitimize his indigeneship of Yewa land through a chieftaincy title will be rebuffed by sons and daughters of the zone.
The Media Director of, The Abiodun Akinlade Group, Lateef Odede, in a statement on Monday said the Lagos Senator can’t use money and chieftaincy title to buy the heritage of Yewa people.
Adeola, who is eyeing Ogun West senatorial seat after serving out eight years as Senator in Lagos State, is expected to be installed as the Aremo-Oba Yewa by the paramount ruler of Yewaland and Olu of Ilaro, HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle this weekend at Ilaro, in Yewa South LGA of Ogun State.
The statement from TAAG, said, “Conferment of AREMO to the Lagos Senator has not authenticated him as an indigene of Yewaland nor qualified him to contest for election in Ogun West. You can't build something on nothing."
"No matter how long a lie flies, truth will surely prevail at last. Our respected political leaders should not be carried away with the Greek gifts from the Lagos Senator who is looking for what does not belong to him” the statement reads.
Akinlade, who is one of the aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Ogun West in 2023, was a three-term House of Representatives member for Yewa South/Ipokia federal constituency and Deputy Director General campaign, Dapo Abiodun 2019 Gubernatorial Campaign
Speaking on the chances of the three-term member of the Federal House of Representatives to clinch the APC ticket for the Ogun West Senatorial seat, the group said “Our principal (Akinlade) has remained committed to the development of Ogun West and we challenge any aspirant that can match his numerous records of achievements to come forward for an issue-based campaign.”
"Akinlade Group is challenging Senator Adeola to come up with his records of stewardship for all the over 20 years he has been representing Lagos West if it can match the landmark achievements of our principal who is widely referred to as Mr. Project, Job Portal and Baba Omo kekeke (father of the Youths)."
The Statement further revealed that the claim by Senator Adeola that Yewa Monarchs came to beg Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to release him to contest in Ogun State is not only insulting to the traditional institution of the region but also ridiculous.
"Adeola should mention the names of the Monarchs who came to appeal to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to release him from Lagos West to Ogun West".
"We want to passionately appeal to the National Leader of our party, Asiwaju Tinubu, not to allow the inordinate ambition of the Lagos Senator to drag his good name into the mud in Ogun State because he (Adeola) has been going around dropping the name of our leader as the one behind his latest foray for survival in Ogun West politics".
The group also appeal to the traditional institutions to always carry out due diligence and background check on anyone they honor with titles in their domain.
“In as much as we believe that it is the prerogative of the traditional institutions to confer chieftaincy titles on anybody irrespective of the background, we want to appeal to them as the custodian of our tradition to ensure that due diligence and background checks are conducted to be able to protect and preserve our collective heritage."
“Conferment of AREMO on the Lagos-based Senator has not and won’t authenticate his indigineship of Yewaland nor qualify him to contest for election in Ogun West. While you can use your money to buy a few consciences, you can't buy the majority because you cannot build something on nothing.
“We urge our people to be guided, see through and reject this overheated inordinate ambition that has received backlash and negative reviews from within and outside our zone. We cannot afford to be the political laughing stock of our country,” the statement said.
