After 25 years of its existence, National Coordinator, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) Otunba Gani Adams said the group may have to restrategise, particularly in liberating the Yoruba nation from the shackles of “poverty, oppression and other injustice over the past years”.
Adams noted how OPC started with nine members at Palm Avenue in Mushin, Lagos in 1994, to liberate the Yoruba nation and restore the mandate of late business mogul and philanthropist, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, who won the 1993 presidential election, adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country’s history.
He lamented that the struggle achieved little so far despite that over 2,500 of its foot soldiers were killed.
Adams, who the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, spoke Thursday at the 25the anniversary of OPC in Lagos and lamented that the ultimate aim of OPC, which is to ensure restructuring, has been repeatedly defeated and leaving the socio-political organisation with little or no choice than to restrategise to improve the living standard of its over six million members across the nation, especially in the Southwest.
“The most irreducible for those, who have followed this restructuring, is for the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the National Conference convened by the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
“It is in the light of this that I say that in the next few months, if there is no tangible evidence that this country will be restructured, then OPC will become partisan. We are still keeping the details to our chest.”
Adams, who also bemoaned the increased wave of kidnapping and ritual killings across the Southwest, expressed confidence that the standing army of OPC is up to the task.
His views were supported by Pa Ayo Adebanjo, spokesman of Afenifere Yinka Odumakin, his wife, Joe, Comrade Femi Aborishade and a professor of Political Science, Tunde Babawale.
Babawale, who was the guest speaker, urged OPC to team up with organisations of like minds to push for restructuring.
Inspector General of Police, who was represented by AIG Adeleye Oyebade of Zone XI, Osogbo, noted that owing to the wave of insecurity nationwide, the police are adopting new strategies by emphasising more on community policing.
