The Chairman of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination, Prof Banji Akintoye, has denied having a working relationship with the Indigenous People of Biafra and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Akintoye, who also heads the umbrella body for Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, said this in a disclaimer by the group’s Media Communications Secretary, Maxwell Adeleye, titled, ‘Ilana Omo Oodua is not in any working relationship with Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB’ on Monday.
The statement noted that Ilana Omo Oodua is in collaboration with Lower Niger Congress and not IPOB or Kanu.
It also asked members of the public to disregard the “false impression” that Akintoye and Kanu are working together.
The statement read, “The attention of Ilana Omo Oodua has been drawn to postcards being circulated online titled, “Roma Mega Rally; Oodua and Biafra in Italy” with the picture of the leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof Banji Akintoye and that of Chief Sunday Igboho placed side by side with the picture of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, creating the false impression that Prof Banji Akintoye and the Yoruba Organisations aggregating under the Ilana Omo Oodua banner are in some kind of working relationship with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Indigenous People of Biafra.
“The General Public is hereby informed that neither Prof Banji Akintoye nor Ilana Omo Oodua is in any form of working relationship with Nnamdi Kanu or IPOB and that the use of the picture of Prof Banji Akintoye on the said postcard advertising the Roma Italy Mega Rally was unauthorized.
“It is as well an embarrassment to both Prof Akintoye and the Ilana Omo Oodua organization.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the organisation in the east of Nigeria with which Illana Omo Oodua is collaborating under the aegis of Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS) is the Lower Niger Congress.
“Members of the Public should please disregard this misleading postcard and any such false impression in the future.”
PUNCH
