Former Osun State Governor, Bisi Akande, has alleged that the Obidient movement played a key role in orchestrating the 2020 #EndSARS protests to sabotage the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu.
The #EndSARS movement, which saw thousands of Nigerians take to the streets in major cities, was a nationwide demonstration against police brutality, particularly by the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Speaking in an interview on State Affairs with Edmund Obilo, published on YouTube on Wednesday, Akande claimed that the protests were not organic but were “manufactured in America” and fueled by those opposed to Tinubu’s political rise.
He said, “EndSARS was aimed and designed to be the end of Tinubu. Those behind the EndSARS knew what they were doing.
“The Obidients were behind the EndSARS. It was manufactured from America just to stop Tinubu.
“The Obidients came from America to do EndSARS, which later became a movement. They could not form a party, so they joined whichever party. It was well planned and organised with a lot of money from America”.
Akande also recounted how he convinced Tinubu to run for the 2023 presidential election despite financial constraints, revealing that Tinubu was initially hesitant to join the race.
His words: “When I met him (Tinubu), he said, ‘Baba, do you have money? If I had the kind of money that people have to be president, I would rank with Dangote’.
“People called me and said, ‘Come, there is trouble. Anybody that talks to him about the presidency, he was quarrelling with them.’ So, I went to Lagos and met him.
Speaking further, Akande shared that he convinced Tinubu to run for the 2023 presidency by highlighting Yoruba tradition.
He said, “I told him, ‘We don’t want you to be president because of you. You are unimportant in this matter. But in Yoruba tradition, when you want to worship the deity, you take the fattest animal or the biggest yam to worship. Yoruba wants to be president, and you are the one we have now. It is to sacrifice you so that we can have a president, not for you to be anything.
“He was looking at me as if I was sick or something,” Akande said, adding that Tinubu later asked him, “Baba, you now say I should run. What about this, my leg?” referring to his health challenges. Akande assured him, “Go and do it. There is still time. You will heal in six months.”