The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi has described the death of the late Afenifere spokesperson, Yinka Odumakin, as a setback to Yoruba nationhood.
He made his view known in a statement released recently to newsmen.
Alaafin stated that “If there had been anything as a setback to Yoruba nationhood nay Nigeria as a whole, it is the death of that illustrious Yoruba son activist and human rights fighter, Yinka Odumakin. For me in particular, I see the death of Yinka as a personal loss. This is because of my own personal assessment; I have always seen him as a cherished asset of the Yoruba both mentally and intellectually. Part of his quality with which he went to the grave was honesty, consistency, courage and candour.
“If there is anything further on which he can be described, it is that he was a Generalissimo of the Yoruba army. While in the days of physical warfare, we had the likes of Ogunmola, kurumi, Ogedengbe among others. But in modern days of pen war, only a few can surpass Yinka Odumakin.
“To him in particular, pen and oral warfare especially in defense of rights are a family dynasty especially when it is remembered that his indefatigable wife was also always in ‘uniform’ with him.
She is not one of the cowardly women who rather than encourage their fighter husband would be admonishing them to save their lives because the society is not worth dying for. Definitely, he could not have succeeded in all his feats without the support of his courageous wife.
“Young as he was at the time of 1993 Abiola validation, he remained an unrelenting foot soldier despite all the risks.
“One other thing that should also not be ignored about him is that his pursuit of whatever he believed was never based on tongue but conviction. Hence, in the course of political pursuits in the country, he had got cause to ally with non-Yoruba people with all zeal, courage and determination.
“In other words, he supported Abiola in 1993 not because Abiola was a Yoruba man, but because the cause was just that deserved redress.
“In the later part of his life, he joined the Yoruba political army under Afenifere that had always remained in forefront of Yoruba’s defence against any act of oppression from any quarters no matter how intimidating it can be politically.
“Like in any situation where he would grow tall in all situations he found himself, he did distinguish himself that it did not take time before he was appointed the spokesman of the organisation. My joy for him is that death caught him while holding a highly prestigious office for the Yoruba nation. He used that office to build alliance across the country with people of the same mind irrespective of tribe or religion.
“It is gratifying to note that at that relatively young age, he left a pair of shoes both in Yoruba land and the country as a whole which will be difficult to find those who will size them.
“Apart from his family. I also commiserate with the Pan Yoruba Afenifere group with the prayer that they will find somebody to fill and sit on the golden chair which he vacated.
“The final lesson in him is the maxim that it is not how long but how well you perform.