OPC tackles Benin Kingdom chiefs over Yoruba origin

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NIGERIA: OODUA People’s Congress (OPC), has warned Benin Kingdom chiefs in Edo State to be wary of their comments on Yoruba race.

The recent comments on Oduduwa by the Benin palace chiefs, according to OPC, not only lacked credibility, but could cause division between Yoruba and Benin kingdom people.

The National Coordinator of OPC, Otunba Gani Adams, said in a statement made available to GatewayMail on

Friday that the basis of the comment was faulty without historical facts.

Adams stated that the comment on the origin of Yoruba race was faulty, adding that it was “poorly researched, lacking in historical credibility could be inflammatory and set the two nobles race against each other.”
According to him, the Yoruba and Edo people have deep-rooted relationship, based on historical facts, which has been keeping them together.

Adams said that some writers of historical documents about the relationship and chord of brotherhood between the two have allowed personal sentiments and pecuniary consideration to overrule their sense of judgement, clarity, fairness, objectivity and harmonious cohabitation.

He stressed that the purported statement said to have been made by a Benin “belong to this trend“.

“We should not indulge in diluted information coined by agents of destabilization which emphasised those things that divide us instead of talking of those things that unite us,” Adams said.
The OPC leader said that no matter the angle or point of view of any writer, the salient issue is that the two tribes have maintained a bond of relationship, which was “essential between the Yoruba Omo Oodua and the Edo Omo Eweka the Great.”

Adams urged the monarchs in Benin and Ile-Ife to be wary of palace chiefs who may cause disaffection between the two noble royal houses.

He praised the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, for not only remaining, but not to respond.

Adams said: “I must also commend the political maturity and sagacity being displayed by the Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi , Ojaja 11 who has been consistent in his PEACE  DIPLOMACY SHUTTLE  among the traditional Obas in Yoruba land which has kicked – off a brand new era of harmonious relationship among the Obas in the South-West.”

He charged those he called “the scripter of divisive statements, the procurer of false history and the spreader of ill-researched historical fallacy” to halt spreading divisive information and help in maintaining peace, unity, harmony.