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It emerged at the weekend that the crisis rocking the Yoruba Council of Elders(YCE) is far from over as the immediate past President, Dansaki Samuel Agbede has distanced himself from the election that brought produced Justice Ademola Bakre(Rtd) as the new president of the Council.
Agbede said he will not recognise Justice Bakre as the President of the Council nor entertain any communication that emanates from him or his group.
Agbede, who spoke with journalists in Ibadan said he rejects the election midwifed by the ‘suspended’ secretary of the group, Dr Kunle Olajide, after receiving a copy of the minute and proceedings of the election at the YCE Senior Elders Forum on August 12.
Noting that he was shocked with some areas in the minute of the election proceedings alluding not only to his name but also his participation in absentia at the election, Agbede said the only notice of meeting he directed that should be sent to members was that of the executives where the purportedly ‘suspended’ secretary was expected to defend himself on allegations of indiscipline, insubordination and gross misconduct before the leaders and not election.
He said: “I must say that I am reluctantly compelled to hold this press conference on the issues relating to the so called YCE election midwifed by Dr Kunle Olajide on the 18th July, 2019.
“A copy of the above meeting was handed over to me at the YCE Senior Elders Forum on 12th August 2019 and needless to say that going through the minutes thereafter, I was shocked and taken aback about some areas alluding not only to my name but my participation in absentia.
He added that while the “unauthorised and illegal” election was on going, he was on an assignment, where he led YCE elders from Oyo and Osun states to join the Ondo state chapter, to pay a condolence visit to Pa Reuben Fasoranti on the loss of his daughter, Mrs Olakunrin.
Agbede expressed dismay that some elders could connive with Dr Olajide to facilitate the election that his name (Agbede) could be rigged into, so as to bring some sort of credibility to it.
He continued: “The most singular curious and absurd thing is that Prof. Tunde Oluwasanmi was the chairman of the occasion and in his opening remark told the meeting that: ‘the interim president was invited and the reason for his absence was best known to him.
“You may wish to know that it was this same Prof Tunde Oluwasanmi who as the Chairman at the Senior Elders’ Forum, who with others urged me to accept the confirmation of my appointment from interim President to the substantive post of President at the meeting of the Senior Elders Forum on 28th, August, 2018.
“Secondly, when I got the wind that Dr Kunle Olajide was bent on summoning an illegal meeting against my instructions, and in opposition to the normal Exco meeting I had already scheduled to hold on 23rd July, 2019, I forwarded a copy of the message I sent to Dr Olajide to Prof Oluwasanmi.
“Despite the above, Prof Oluwasanmi still went ahead to tell the makeshift delegates attending the authorised and illegal meeting that the reason for my absence is best known to me.
“I hold this press conference to clear my name that I am not a party to Dr Kunle Olajide’s midwifed election, rather, I instructed him not to convene the meeting. It is sad that they believe they have to rig my name into their election to bring some sort of credibility to it. I seriously object to my name being fraudulently used for illegal purpose.
“I have to clear my name so that the general public, my family and generation yet unborn will be aware of the truth. I have nothing to do with Dr Kunle Olajide, Prof. Tunde Oluwasanmi and Justice Bakre group of YCE. I have made enormous sacrifices for YCE from its inception without any or seeking for material gain. I can do without this group rather than rubbing my name in the mud.
“Finally, I say with all emphasis that I don’t recognise Justice Ademola Bakre as President of YCE. I regard his election illegal, null and void as YCE President. I will not entertain any communication that emanates from him and his group. I make bold to say that by Yoruba custom and tradition, the Senior Elders are the supreme body of YCE, their position, sacrosanct and their decision on issues final.”