How We Have Re-positioned And Transformed OPC In Just One Year- Arogundade, OPC New Era President

The National President of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC New Era, Comrade Razak Arogundade has said that in just one year since the national leaders of the group was inaugurated; it has succeeded in transforming the group into peace loving group.

Arogundade while addressing thousands of its members at the National Coordinating Council meeting held at Shomolu and which coincidentally marked the one year since the new national leaders of the group came on board said that OPC New Era has transformed the Yoruba socio-cultural group into a peace loving one.

“Today marks the first anniversary of the inauguration of a new leadership for the OPC since Gani Adams pharaonic and egotistical leadership of the Congress was terminated. And since the rejection of that despotic, divisive and self-centered regime, and the inauguration of our new leadership, we have transformed, stabilized and increase the membership of the OPC phenomenally and geometrically.”

He added: “It should be noted that we have been able to achieve these feats with relative ease due to our matured stand and approach to issues. We have endured quite a number of violent acts of provocation and aggression; at Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan at which a member of our national executive council was mobbed and almost lynched to death during a summit meeting of Yoruba groups and leaders among other such ugly incidents.”

Speaking further, Arogundade said that within the same time frame, the new leadership of the OPC with the full support of the entire cadre has been able to reposition the Congress back to its enviable pride of place among the Yoruba people after the all-time-low Gani Adams brought the Congress to, due to his selfish and parochially motivated by 2015 political miscalculations and gambit.

“Today, New Era has initiated peace move to harmonise all factions of OPC into one. We have partnered with other Yoruba nationalistic and rights groups. And we are very pleased with the reception we have received from our kith and kin across the board.

“At a number of fora at which we have been opportuned to meet, Gani Adams has had to leave in shame before the programmes ended due to deriding comments, boos and other forms of insults, signifying and confirming public rejection and anti-party. These incidents have also emboldened and strengthened our resolve to commit and rededicate ourselves to the Yoruba nation one hundred percent (100%) in appreciation of their approval and support.”

Speaking on the 2019 election, Arogundade urged politicians across board to eschew violence and conduct their campaigns peacefully.

“Campaigns should be focused and issue based as is the norm all over the world. The monetization and culture of rigging that has become the norm in this clime is antithetical to democratic practices.There is a need for the government to ensure a level playing ground for all aspirants irrespective of the various and different political affiliations. There is a need to regularize and update all electoral laws and the president should therefore sign the amended electoral laws to allay the fears of opposition politicians and the observing world at large.”

Also, on the issue of security, Arogundade said that the federal government and its security apparatus have performed below expectations. “Especially on the issue of Boko Haram in the northeast and particularly alleged Fulani cattle-herds in the north-central, the federal government has failed woefully in its duty to protect lives and properties of its citizens.”