You can’t threaten Tinubu and claim Otoge, 38 founding leaders tell G15

Thirty-eight founding leaders of the Otoge Movement in Kwara have accused the G15 group of attempting to hijack the legacy of the movement while simultaneously threatening the electoral fortunes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), tribuneonlineng.com reported.

The leaders said it was contradictory for the G15 to claim ownership of the Otoge movement after allegedly warning President Tinubu that the APC could suffer electoral setbacks in Kwara if the group’s grievances were not addressed.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the founding leaders described the alleged warning to the President as political blackmail, insisting that no one could threaten Tinubu and still lay claim to the values that defined the Otoge movement.

“You cannot threaten President Tinubu with electoral consequences today because of your own interests and expect Nigerians to believe you are defending the movement that brought progressive politics to Kwara,” the statement said.

The leaders maintained that the Otoge movement was a collective struggle driven by millions of Kwarans who demanded accountable leadership, development and good governance, stressing that no individual, pressure group or political bloc could claim exclusive ownership of its legacy.

According to them, the G15 had recently criticised decisions of the APC leadership, questioned the outcome of the party’s primaries, and publicly suggested the possibility of leaving the party, making its claim to the Otoge movement untenable.

The statement also alleged that many of the politicians now leading the G15 had previously praised Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and acknowledged the achievements of his administration before turning against him after failing to realise their political ambitions.

The founding leaders contrasted the recent #KwaraNdupe Rally with the G15 gathering, saying that while thousands of APC members and supporters gathered to celebrate President Tinubu, Governor AbdulRazaq and the party before proceeding to the Emir of Ilorin’s Palace for royal blessings, the G15 event amounted to little more than a political photo opportunity.

They further claimed that the group’s attempt to visit the Emir of Ilorin’s Palace did not materialise because palace protocol requires official visits to be scheduled in advance.

The leaders also condemned what they described as hostile rhetoric against Governor AbdulRazaq and campaign materials suggesting that President Tinubu was “trading with Kwara,” saying such narratives were divisive and capable of undermining the unity of the APC.

They urged aggrieved party members to channel their grievances through the constitutional mechanisms of the APC rather than through public threats and media campaigns.

Reaffirming their loyalty to President Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the national leadership of the APC and all duly nominated candidates of the party, the signatories insisted that the Otoge movement remained “a people’s movement built on courage, consistency, loyalty and service, not personal ambition.”

The statement was jointly signed by 38 founding leaders of the Otoge Movement, including Hon. Raji Atolagbe Muhammad, Alhaji Rahim Alamoyo, Alhaji Issa Amosa Afon, Alhaji Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa, Prof. Abdulraheem Sheu Adaramaja, Alhaji Mustapha Kobe, Alhaji Ibrahim Mogaji, Alhaji Baba Alapa, Alhaji Rasaq Jiddah, Alhaji Abdulganiu Cook Olododo, Alhaji Illiasu Abdulrahman, Alhaji Saadu Salau, Alhaji Abdullah Ahmed Sabi, Alhaji Ali Aliyu Mohamed, Alhaji Saadu Laaro, Elder Abodunrin Kolade Julius, Mohammed Abdullahi Ndako, Baba Santali, Mohamed Abdulrahman Wali, Hon. Ismaila Haliru, Shehu Jibril, Umar Madiu Abubakar, Alhaji Tajudeen Adesina, Hon. Femi Agbaje Whyte, Chief Michael Iyanda, Mrs. Adefila G. O., Alhaji Kareem Owolabi, Luku Ojo, Chief Toyin Dada, Engr. Benjamin Oyeyemi, Aliu Olayinka Theophilus, Benjamin Ayanshola, Hon. Raheem Adedoyin Oloriewe, Olaitan Bashir Ibrahim, Hon. Sodiq Hameed, Dr. Solomon Olaegin, Alhaja Aminat Gbolasere (Iya Ewe), and Wosilat Idowu (Iya Alado).