A socio-cultural group, Yoruba Council Worldwide, has issued a three-day ultimatum to former President Olusegun Obasanjo to apologise for “showing disrespect” to Oyo monarchs.
Politics Nigeria reported that Obasanjo had order Oyo traditional rulers to stand up in his respect while speaking at an event in Iseyin on Friday.
The Yoruba socio-cultural group, in a statement on Saturday, criticized Obasanjo for “desecrating” the Yoruba cultural heritage, norms, tradition and values.
It threatened to mobilize all market women, youths and leaders of thoughts to protest against Obasanjo.
The group said if the former leader failed to apologise, he will “face untold traditional and legal reprisal consequences, not limited to filing action at a court of competent jurisdiction for defamation and scandalous libel”.
In addition, the group called for stripping Obasanjo of all chieftaincy titles conferred on him by any Yoruba monarch.
While also lamenting the recent “barrage of monumental embarrassment, ridicule and brazen abuse” of Yoruba monarchs, the group said the most shocking was the one committed by Obasanjo in Iseyin, Oyo State, when he commanded the monarchs to stand “like school boys”.
The group said the act was the “biggest bombshell taboo” in the history of Yorubaland and perhaps the most disturbing sacrilege as Obasanjo addressed the monarchs as if they were toddlers.
It was a “most disparaging, most distressing and disrespectul” act against the monarchs, said the Yoruba group, in a statement signed by its president Aare Oba Oladotun Hassan and secretary Siyanbade Adekanmbi.
“On this note we wish to set the records straight that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is no longer the President of Nigeria, and he should stop parading himself deceitfully and impersonating or creating a scenario to command such ill motivated authority.
“We have seen Omoluabi President Bola Ahmed Tinubu accord high level respect during his recent visits to the Awujale of Ijebu Land Oba Sikiru Adetona and Alake’s Palace, as well as Governors like Hon. Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State prostrate before Kings and Elders… This standard practice should be emulated and not the disrespectful manner done by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the Former President of Nigeria”.
The group urged on President Tinubu to call Obasanjo to order.
