A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ilori, has commended the late Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, for leading other South-West governors to protect the region from the growing wave of insecurity ravaging other parts of the country.
Ilori who posted in a comment section of Mrs Betty Akeredolu’s post about Donald Trump’s comment on Nigeria’s insecurity, said Akeredolu’s insistence on regional security and the creation of the Amotekun Corps prevented what he described as “the evil seed planted by the American government in Nigeria” from taking root in Yorubaland.
“If governors of other regions had acted with the same courage and unity as Akeredolu and his colleagues, Nigeria would have been spared from the insecurity tearing the country apart today,” Ilori stated.
He added that the South-East, in particular, had suffered the most from insecurity, saying “Christians are killing Christians, and the number of displaced people keeps rising daily.”
Also Former aide to Akeredolu, Akin Olotu, also praised the late governor’s leadership, describing him as a visionary who foresaw the danger of insecurity early and stood firm despite political backlash.
Olotu, however, stressed that the current insecurity across the country would persist until Nigeria undergoes restructuring.
“You cannot put something on nothing. A crippled structure cannot sprint. Unless we restructure Nigeria, every reform President Tinubu is making will be dismantled by the next administration,” he warned.
Olotu, in a lengthy reflection, lamented the moral decay and value collapse in the country, citing the poor state of education, justice, and healthcare.
“The land is dripping with the blood of the innocent. The best president in the world cannot fix Nigeria under this structure,” he said.
Also reacting, David Omorege said Akeredolu’s foresight in championing Amotekun saved the South-West from attacks by criminal herders.
“If it wasn’t Akeredolu championing Amotekun, there would be no farming activities in the South-West today,” Omorege said.
Meanwhile, the debate over restructuring and national security has been rekindled following recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which some Nigerians view as an opportunity for the country to revisit its political foundation.
Akeredolu, who passed away in December 2023, is remembered not only for his infrastructural projects but also for his uncompromising defense of Yoruba land and his advocacy for regional self-determination.
