The leader and president, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Banji Akintoye, withdrew his letter of resignation from the leadership of the group and returned to the position.
Akintoye, in a statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday titled “My humble response to the request that I must withdraw my letter of resignation,” agreed to withdraw the letter.
The PUNCH reported that the organization’s leadership has been embroiled in a crisis in recent weeks over allegations of fraud and embezzlement that led to the resignation of immediate leader and chairman Wale Adeniran.
Adeniran said he resigned to allow a thorough investigation of the allegation and called on the Yoruba elders to establish a committee for that purpose.
However, some of the concerned leaders issued a statement rejecting the resignation letters of Akintoye and Adeniran, respectively.
Akintoye wrote: “Three weeks ago, I wrote to inform Ilana Omo Oduduwa that I was resigning from my leadership position in the organization. I made it clear that my resignation was solely due to the need, at my advanced age, to cut back on my responsibilities at Ilana in order to devote my energies to pressing challenges in the higher spheres of our struggle for Yoruba self-determination.
“Since then I have received, from all sections of Ilana, messages or letters rejecting my resignation and urging me to continue making the sacrifice of leading Ilana. Last week, I was visited for the same purpose by prominent persons representing the Advisory Council of Elders, the Ilana Secretariat and the two formerly different sections of Ilana.
“I was also honored to receive a visit from Peter Bamgbade, who is recognized throughout the Yoruba nation as a great influence for reconciliation and harmony among the Yoruba people.
“I hereby resign from my previous decision to resign and announce my return to my leadership position and role at Ilana.”
“Coming back now, I expect cooperation, mutual respect, brotherhood and disciplined conduct from all our members at home and in the diaspora. As a disciplined self-determination organization crucial to the realization of our collective determination to get out of the contraption called Nigeria, there is an immediate need to harmonize and unify all tendencies in IOOW.
“I hereby take this opportunity to announce the disbandment of all IOOW factions largely caused by the infiltration of adversaries inside and outside our bases,” Akintoye stated.
