Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, a caucus of Yoruba Civic and Self-Determination Groups under the auspices of the Yoruba Summit has called on the Yoruba people to exercise self-control and restraint before, during and after the polls, so as to ensure that violence does not occur anywhere in their lands.
The group consist of Yoruba Koya, Builders of New Nigeria, Voice of Reason, Agbe Koya, Odua Peoples’ Congress, Atayese, Yoruba Unity Forum and Afenifere, among others.
They appealed to the Yoruba people of all political parties, religions, social and economic circumstances to work consciously together to ensure peaceful electoral processes across the Yoruba land.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the chairman of Yoruba Summit, Professor Banji Akintoye recalled that the Yorubas have lived in very orderly political systems for more than 1,000 years before the coming of British rule and before the amalgamation that included the Yoruba nation in Nigeria.
“In today’s world, the Yoruba nation is widely respected for our culture of religious tolerance, political orderliness and democracy as well as for our hospitality to strangers and foreigners.
“These qualities have become great assets to our nation. We do not have anything to gain from violent outbursts or from killing one another and destroying valuable properties belonging to our own people.
“Let us all behave in ways that will demonstrate and honour our highly advanced civilization. We need to recognize that what today’s situation demands of us is not mere politics as usual but great vigilance and determination to defend ourselves, our families and the entire homeland,” he said.
The group further urged Nigerians to ensure that the elections are orderly and peaceful in their various homelands.
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