A coalition under the aegis of the Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF) has raised the alarm over alleged plans by some persons to cause violence and chaos in the South-West and other parts of the country with the ultimate objective of truncating the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
YAF alleged that some disgruntled persons in the South-West and their allies in other parts of the country and outside, had been engaging in “clandestine activities” aimed at causing violence and sparking off killings, arson and mayhem that would undermine the electoral process and ultimately truncate next year’s elections throughout the country.
The Forum disclosed that the violence, which had been planned to start in the South-West, also had the objective of “re-enacting the arson and killings that characterised the unfortunate “Operation Wetie” violence that took place in the region in the First Republic” and it’s to be spread to the North by the Northern collaborators of the planners.
It further said it learnt that the aggrieved masterminds of the violence were planning to secure the services of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the South-West in their alleged plans to instigate violence and cause chaos all over the country.
YAF National Coordinator, Adesina Animashaun, made these allegations at a well-attended press conference in Lagos.
According to the Forum, the ultimate objective of the alleged planned nationwide violence “is to exploit the situation to surreptitiously realise their selfish political ambition in 2023.
“Their evil calculation, YAF has learnt, is to take control of the country’s political space and the electoral processes, which they believe they are being denied now by the incumbent administration.
YAF further alleged,
“This grand conspiracy to cause violence and mayhem across the country by these prominent personalities is, of course, being fine-tuned by some prominent Nigerians and others pretending to be taking refuge in neighbouring countries.
“The initial plan of these aggrieved persons was to use the issue of a certain Yoruba nation activist to arm twist the Federal Government into calling for a negotiation over the issue so that they could make some political gains.”
The Forum also claimed that those behind these plans for violence have a more sinister objective of causing chaos and mayhem across the Nigerian nation for the selfish political end of their sponsors and paymasters, particularly aggrieved politicians.
“These personalities and the other masterminds of these violent plans are bent on throwing Nigeria into total chaos to fast track the collapse of governments at both the state and Federal levels to enable them to execute their evil plans for the country,” it added.
But while YAF warned “those disgruntled persons behind this plot, we are also appealing to ASUU and NANS not to allow themselves to be used. Rather, they should endeavour to resolve the current disagreement with the Federal Government peacefully and responsibly, without any ulterior motive or external push by disgruntled elements.
“As noted earlier, for now, the hoodlums hired by these disgruntled personalities will continue to perpetrate skeletal arson and destruction until after the APC convention when they’ll launch their major onslaught on Nigerians and the government.”
YAF, however, also warned the planners of the nationwide violence and chaos to caution themselves and shelve their evil plans in the interest of the country, adding, “If they refuse to take this our modest advice to desist from their devilish plans and activities, YAF will expose them by revealing their identities, and they should be prepared to face sanctions and consequences.”
The Forum advised Yoruba and Nigerian youths to maintain peace and eschew violence, urging the people of the South-West and Nigerians not to allow themselves to be deceived by anyone to engage in violence.
YAF, therefore, advised the Federal Government and the state governors to ensure the deployment of adequate number of security agents throughout Yorubaland as well as the entire country to tighten security and forestall any plan by any group or individuals to instigate violence and cause chaos before and during the 2023 elections.
It added that security agencies should not relent in beefing up security across the South-West and the rest of the country to avert the violence and chaos being planned by some unpatriotic citizens bent on truncating the 2023 polls.
The Forum also warned that it won’t hesitate to mobilise all its members across Yorubaland to confront those planning another wave of violence in any part of the country, especially the South-West, under any guise.
It said, “YAF will no longer fold its hands and allow unpatriotic elements and their collaborators to further destroy the economic and social well-being of our people in the name of partisan politics. We can no longer afford to lose more to the unpatriotic and evil activities of sponsored hoodlums masquerading as political thugs.
“For your information and without being unnecessarily immodest, we want to say here without mincing words that we’re fully prepared, as members of YAF, to vehemently resist the masterminds of any renewed form of violence anywhere in the country and the entire Yorubaland with the last drop of our blood!”
