ACN has vindicated us on Aregbesola's religious extremism, others - PDP

The Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described comments of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Osun State Spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi in the Saturday Sun newspaper of today as a vindication of its stand on the State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola's religious extremism and plot to disintegrate Nigeria.

The party said in a statement that "with the ACN Spokesperson's justification of the introduction of hijab in the Osun State public schools, change of the State's constitutionally recognised name to State of Osun, introduction of new anthem and coat of arm, among others, it should now be clear to discerning minds that Aregbesola was planing against the unity of Nigeria."

According to the statement issued by the PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon Kayode Babade, "Nigerians no longer need to look too far as to the sinister motives that we have said Aregbesola has against the corporate existence of Nigeria since it has been confirmed through his party's Spokesperson."

The statement read; "Answering question on the introduction of hijab, the ACN Spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi said; 'wearing of hijab in Yoruba land is not strange. Our mothers wear hijab and our sisters wear hijab.'

"And the question Nigerians must ask Aregbesola and his bunch of fundamentalists is whether wearing of hijab has ever been made compulsory in any public school in Yoruba Land?

"Again, on the change of Osun State to State of Osun, Oyatomi posited that; Osun State and State of Osun mean the samething. He also went further to say that a State like Lagos can decide to change its name to Eko because; 'it is the white man, who gave it the name Lagos. We know it as Eko.'

"Simply put, what Aregbesola party's Spokesperson was canvassing was a state of anarchy in Nigeria, where even a local government chairman can wake up one day and announce that he has changed the council's name to his own name.

"On the issue of Coat of Arms, Oyatomi posited that each State in Nigeria has the right to jetittion the Nigeria's Coat of Arms and have its own, because it was the military that gave the Nigeria Coat of Arms; and that 'nobody gave the military the right to change the Coat of Arms.' But our question is; was it not the same military that created Osun State, and who gave the military the right to create the State? Again, does it not amount to having an independent republic within the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an invitation to anarchy if all States in the country jetittion the Nigeria Coat of Arms, flag and anthem for their own?

"Also, the ACN claimed that the new Osun State anthem, which does not have any particular bearing on Osun State, was created for the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), and one may also wish to ask why Aregbesola is the only one using the anthem among the ACN governors?

"Most importantly, of what economic and developmental advantage is the change of Osun State to State of Osun, introduction of hijab, Coat of Arms, flag and anthem to the people of Osun State?

"Therefore, from the admission of Aregbesola, through his party's spokesperson, security agencies should begin to ask questions as to the rationale behind the governor's actions, which we viewed as inimical to the corporate existence of Nigeria.

"Questions should also be asked as to the duty of the 12 bearded young men that are among Aregbesola's security details."

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN