Inside Nigeria
Elections: ‘Stay Away From Yorubaland’ – OPC Warns Asari Dokubo, Nnamdi Kanu, Others
A pan-Yoruba group, the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, has warned ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and those planning to foment trouble during Saturday’s governorship and house of assembly elections to stay away from the Southwest in their own interest.
It also warned them to stop issuing inflammatory remarks and threats of attacks on the Yoruba.
Dokubo was widely reported in a section of the media a few days ago to have threatened to deal with the Yoruba in a video posted on Youtube, if non-indigenes were attacked during the polls.
In a statement issued yesterday by its President, Comrade Dare Adesope, the group said its men were prepared to protect Yoruba and their Igbo counterparts in Lagos State.
He said: ” Asari Dokubo and others should mind their choice of words while addressing Yoruba people because it is very clear that the Yoruba are not enjoying the privilege we give to the Igbo and other tribes in their land.
”The presidential election is over and we are looking forward to the governorship poll. We have decided to stand up to the task and protect our states by ensuring that the election is violence-free. Any group planning to disrupt the poll should have a rethink because OPC(R) is prepared to resist such act with our last blood.
”Heavy presence of our members would be adequately felt in all the polling booths across the Southwest.”
virtue of this , we are imploring all registered voters to come out and exercise their franchise without fear of attack from any quarters.
”And to all Igbo groups and persons threatening to attack Yorubas, I am sounding a strong warning that they should give it a second thought because we are very ready to defend our people. They should know that the gentility of a tiger is not an act of cowardice.”