The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has dismissed allegations that President Bola Tinubu and former President, Olusegun Obasanjo supported the Yoruba people against the Hausa and other tribes in the past.

Naijaonpoint reports that the group clarified on Thursday at a press conference in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The OPC’s National Public Relations Officer, Akin Adesina, said the claim was allegedly made by a chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Buba Galadima, during a recent live television programme.

According to Adesina, Galadima alleged that some northern groups recruited the late President Muhammadu Buhari into politics because the OPC, between 1999 and 2000, invaded Ilorin in Kwara State intending to uproot Fulani structures.

He further stated that Galadima accused both Obasanjo, who was president at the time, and Tinubu, then Lagos State governor, of failing to act against the OPC.

Reacting, Adesina described the allegations against both leaders as false and misleading.

Adesina said, “Galadima was a friend to Fasehun, likewise to the incumbent President of OPC, Osibote. It did not occur to us that we are dealing with a foe in disguise.

“In Kwara State, 70 per cent of the indigenes are of Yoruba descent. They do not need to mobilise people outside their state to fight for their cause, especially in Ilorin, where the Emir is ruling over Yoruba descendants.”

Adesina recalled an incident that occurred in October 2000 in Oyo State, during the tenure of the late former governor of the state, Lam Adesina.

He added, “The Fulani herdsmen invaded farms in Saki spanning a 100-kilometre radius, and destroyed the farms with their cattle, killing the farmers.

“The late Buhari, in company of former military governor of Lagos State, Gen. Buba Marwa, Aliko Muhammed, Hassan and a host of northern Arewa elites, came to meet late former Governor Adesina.

“They emitted fire based on the information of ‘hearsay’. They came with people of northern extraction, numbering about 1,000 men and women, young and old.

“This created some tension in and around the government secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. General Buhari now relayed his message, accusing the people of Saki in Oke-Ogun that they killed more than 68 Fulani herdsmen, and also accused the state government of perversion of justice.

“Adesina maintained his coolness and asked the constituted authorities on security, namely the Commissioner of Police, the state Director of SSS, and the Executive Chairman of the Local Government involved, to speak.

“These stakeholders read their reports, which indicted Fulani herdsmen as the real killers of farmers in Saki. The reports are there for fact-checking.

“Please, Galadima, what is the business of former President Obasanjo and President Tinubu in this matter?

“At that time, there were two uprisings that happened in Mile 12 and Idi-Araba in Lagos State. The one of Mile 12 market was between Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani, and that of Idi-Araba, as well.

“If today, Galadima and his cohorts want to bring in the name of Tinubu into this matter, your action will not see the light of day because nothing concerns Tinubu with the Ilorin matter.

“Also, it is a general belief that Obasanjo is an ardent nationalist to the core. It was Obasanjo who ordered the shoot-on-sight directives for OPC members when he became President in 1999. This was seen as a measure to curb the group’s activities, which were perceived as a threat to national security.

“Galadima, what is Obasanjo’s role in protecting the OPC? The records are there for fact-checking. Is Galadima a friend of Yoruba, or what do we call him?

“Buhari is dead. Lam Adesina has gone to rest. The then Kwara State governor is no longer alive. It is now that Galadima is trying to wreak havoc.

“In our view, we perceived Galadima as a statesman. We did expect a progressive statement from him, not one that will divide our noble country.”