Ayodele Fayose, former Governor of Ekiti state, has warned against arresting popular Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo, well known as Sunday Igboho.
Igboho had issued a seven-day quit notice to herdsmen accused of kidnapping, rape, farmland destruction, amongst other crimes in the Ibarapa area of Oyo, and enforced same.
He had also confronted herdsmen accused of terrorizing farmers and residents in the Yewa area of Ogun State.
But Igboho has been quiet lately after series of warnings and threats. He has also stopped granting interviews.
However, Fayose noted that Igboho is not ignorable with the current level of insecurity in Nigeria.
The PDP Chieftain told Channels TV on Sunday that the activist must be used positively in the resolution of ethnic crisis and insecurity rather than being threatened.
Fayose said: Sunday Igboho is not ignorable in the circumstance that we have found ourselves. He can now be used positively to make peace rather than condemn him or ask him to go, arrest him or put him behind bars.
“The situation we have at hand now calls for everyone to come to a round table and appeal to their people.
“Sunday Igboho might not be the best of persons but the fact remains that when crises come, they come from the lower cadre of the society and people like him are the ones that can talk to the people. Big men stay in their houses and will send people out to go and resolve it.
“My appeal is that Sunday Igakindeboho, no matter how stupid or how you perceived him, must be brought and used positively in the resolution of this crisis.
Speaking further on the ethnic crisis in Oyo, Fayose called on Governor Seyi Makinde to be more proactive.
He said: “Governor Makinde needs to be more proactive, Oyo state is a big state. Look at what happened in Igangan, when a similar incident happened in Ekiti, I was there that same day. I took charge of that community. I slept in that community. And immediately they mentioned names of people responsible, instead of fighting them, I brought them to the round table, and this I have told Governor Makinde. I sat him down.”
Fayose also spoke about the report linking former Aviation minister Fani-Kayode to the All Progressives Congress.
Fayose quoted James 1:14, about when a man is ‘taken away in his own covetousness’ and said: “Anyone who leaves PDP for APC at this time is taken up in his own covetousness…I know FFK is going nowhere, I’m 100% sure. It’s normal for you to sell your market to anyone interested.”
When asked if he could join APC, Fayose said: “I’m over 60, what else am I looking for. I became governor at 42. All the opportunities I wanted, PDP offered me. Some people could choose to be dishonorable, not me.”

By Michael Adeshina