The Yoruba Council of Elders has lambasted the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, for distributing campaign materials of President Muhammadu Buhari. It was reported that Shittu brought the campaign materials (caps) to Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
He wore one of the caps, which had the logo of the All Progressives Congress and the inscription Continuity 19; Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo on it.“I know that everybody will be involved, everybody will be guided and people will take decisions largely to support the President in the 2019 elections,” Shittu said.
But Dr Kunle Olajide, the YCE secretary general, expressed surprise over Shittu’s action, describing it as the height of sycophancy.“I am surprised that some of our political leaders are engaged in criminal height of sycophancy completely oblivious of the mood of the people they claim to represent. People are talking about 2019 elections and 2023 presidential elections as if it is somebody’s birthright,” he said.
"People should stop taking Nigerians for granted for God’s sake. We are in the 21st century and not the 20th century. The insult is too much.“It is unfortunate and I am sad that someone could be pre-occupied with such thought and action. When you are talking about timeliness and consideration of the plight of other persons, Yoruba stands out because we are our brother’s keeper. We are liberal and that is why we are always ready to accommodate others and sympathise with their plight.
"It is sad that a Yoruba man should be doing this. Moreover, it violates the regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission on elections. I want to consider it a rumour until the minister refutes it.”
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