A former governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has cautioned against the arrest of Sunday Adeyemo, a youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho in order to avoid an escalation of the crisis brewing in the region.
1st News had reported that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu on Friday, ordered the arrest of Igboho over the quit notice given to Fulani settlers in Oyo state.
Seyi Makinde, Oyo governor, also directed Ngozi Onadeko, commissioner of police in the state, to arrest persons found guilty of stoking ethnic tension.
However, in his tweet on Saturday, Fayose advised Makinde to deploy dialogue and meet with all stakeholders in order to bring the situation under control.
“Gov Seyi Makinde should rather use dialogue and persuasion instead of escalating tension in his own State by calling for the arrest of Sunday Adeyemo or anyone at this time,” Fayose said.
“If FG and some governors could ‘dialogue’ with Boko Haram terrorists, Gov Makinde calling all stakeholders to a round-table discussion will not be a misplaced action.
“Any attempt to arrest anyone will cause a further threat to the already fragile peace in the West and the country as a whole. Above all, any unchecked escalation may lead to a state of emergency.”
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On Friday, protesters in Igangan, Ibarapa local government area of Oyo State, had allegedly attacked settlements inhabited by Fulani groups, setting ablaze vehicles, houses — including the house of Salihu Abdukadir, Seriki Fulani, leader of the Fulani group.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, on Friday, January 22, described godfatherism in Nigerian politics as a good thing.
Dare made this assertion in Abuja during the unveiling of the Lead Generation Initiative.
The Minister revealed that godfatherism is only bad when political godfathers sacrifice competence for something else.
The initiative, which is a non-governmental and non-political organisation, was created by the House of Representatives member for Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency in Oyo State, Shina Peller.
Dare said: “The definition of godfatherism is not a monolith. In the context of our own politics, a godfather is someone who sits there; decides and takes all the decisions; decides who gets what; whether it is resources or positions.
“The concept of godfatherism simply means that there are some individuals or influential leaders – who can be in block or individuals – who have the levers of control when it comes to political decisions and appointments.
“For me, in its entirety, godfatherism is not bad. But godfatherism that sacrifices competence for something else is bad.”
