Yoruba forum alleges plans to use ASUU strike to truncate 2023 polls

A coalition under the aegis of Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF) has cried out over alleged plans by some persons to use the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to cause violence and chaos in the South-West and other parts of the country to truncate the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

YAF equally alleged that some disgruntled persons in the South-West and their allies in other parts of the country and outside had been engaging in “clandestine activities” to cause violence and spark off killings, arson and mayhem to undermine the electoral process and ultimately truncate next year’s elections throughout the country.

The Forum also noted that the violence, planned to start in the South-West, also had the objective of ‘re-enacting the arson and killings that characterised the unfortunate “Operation Wetie” violence that took place in the region in the First Republic.’

YAF National Coordinator, Adesina Animashaun, made the allegations in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

The ultimate objective of the alleged planned nationwide violence, according to the Forum, is to exploit the situation to surreptitiously realise their selfish political ambition in 2023.

“Their evil calculation, YAF has learnt, is to take control of the country’s political space and the electoral processes, which they believe are being denied now by the incumbent administration. This grand conspiracy to cause violence and mayhem across the country by these prominent personalities is, of course, fine-tuned by some prominent Nigerians and others pretending to be taking refuge in neighbouring countries.

“The initial plan of these aggrieved persons was to use the issue of a certain Yoruba nation activist to arm-twist the federal government into calling for negotiation over the issue so that they could make some political gains.

“These personalities and the other masterminds of these violent plans are bent on throwing Nigeria into total chaos to fast track the collapse of governments at both the state and federal levels to enable them to execute their evil plans for the country,” the statement read.

The Forum however warned that “we are also appealing to ASUU and NANS not to allow themselves to be used by those disgruntled persons behind this plot. Rather, they should endeavour to resolve the current disagreement with the federal government peacefully and responsibly, without any ulterior motive or external push by disgruntled elements.

“As noted earlier, for now, the hoodlums hired by these disgruntled personalities will continue to perpetrate skeletal arson and destruction until after the APC convention when they’ll launch their major onslaught on Nigerians and the government,” the Forum noted. Courtesy Daily Sun