http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2652:i-am-not-a-yoruba-man--former-sokoto-gov&catid=16:headline-news&Itemid=75

I Am Not A Yoruba Man – Former Sokoto Gov
Written by Golu Timothy, Abuja
Thursday, 18 June 2009 02:39
Former governor of old Sokoto State, Alhaji Yahaya Abdulkarim, has debunked media reports which insinuated that he is a Yoruba man who lived and became a governor in the north.

He said it is painful that some persons want to create a false history of origin and deliberately create a crisis of identity for him.

Speaking to our correspondent in Abuja, the former governor, who served under General Babangida's two- year transition period said, "I am shocked to read on the pages of a newspaper that I am a Yoruba man. I am being compared to others who have those backgrounds. I am not happy to have been wrongly accused of being an impersonator. Because that is what it means if you say I am not the child of my father. Maybe somebody is being referred to here, but as a journalist, I expect verification and authentication of whatever information one gets before going to press.

“I was born here in my village in Talata Mafara by my parents who are also from here. My father was a Native Authority officer and my brother, a former senator. Anybody in doubt can even contact the Sultan of Sokoto and findout the truth. I don't know what the story intends to achieve, but I want to advise people against such dangerous jokes or mistakes as the case may be. They are capable of creating serious conflicts in the country. It is unfair and ungodly for anyone to say what he does not fully know or be used to pass an unconfirmed information.

"Is it because my surname is also being used by Yoruba people? Does that make me a Yoruba man? I am not against any tribe, but I hate to transfer my solemn identity, which God has given me. I did not choose that from Zamfara, so nobody should make me a Yoruba man by force. I have no link with the Yorubas in any way," he added.

whatever.

why is this news? Does someone here know the man?

It is news because he was being accused of impersonation. And in the volatile environment that Nigeria is, Sokoto indigenes could become violent and riotious, knowing that a Yoruba man illegally/deceitfully reigned over them. If it is no news, why did it appear in the papers?

Afaukwu:

It is news because he was being accused of impersonation. And in the volatile environment that Nigeria is, Sokoto indigenes could become violent and riotious, knowing that a Yoruba man illegally/deceitfully reigned over them. If it is no news, why did it appear in the papers?

exaggeration.

Like the man said, anyone doubting his ancestry should go check with the Sultan.

If OBJ didnt have problems despite similar rumors, then why should he.

and how many people even know who he is for goodness sake. He should go talk to whichever newspaper printed his story.

They said IBB's mother is an Ogbomoso woman- did anyone bother themseleves about it.

IBB's mother is not the same as IBB. Plus, so much hue and cry was also generated when Yorubas accused OBJ of being Igbo simply to give them another opportunity at the presidency (PDP) when it moves down south again. It is grieviously evil to try to confer a different ethnicity to a person, especially in a country like Nigeria.

Afaukwu:

IBB's mother is not the same as IBB. Plus, so much hue and cry was also generated when Yorubas accused OBJ of being Igbo simply to give them another opportunity at the presidency (PDP) when it moves down south again. It is grievious evil to try to confer a different ethnicity to a person, especially in a country like Nigeria.

i dont give a rat's ass who is from what ethnicity as long as whoever it is isnt getting in my face in the name of their rotten backwardness.

Suit yourself. It is a large world with large enough receptacle to accomodate all shades of opinion.

Afaukwu:

Suit yourself. It is a large world with large enough receptacle to accomodate all shades of opinion.

I'm just saying the man should go siddon somewhere.

or else ask the journalist who called him Yoruba, where he got his information from.

thats Naija for you. . . . Its a shame to be anything but your 'tribe', while other countries celebrate possible diversity in their origins,in nigeria its political suicide.

Just like Olusola Saraki tries to deny he's yoruba,until he plans to run for president or Amos Adamu denies he's a yoruba man.

While I was serving,I was informed by military officers that during IBB-Abacha era,if you didn't have a hausa/muslim name,your career was likely doomed.

For Nigeria to succeed,we need to address some fundamental issues,the political class keep dodging & this is what will bring down this country(if left unaddressed perpertually). viz:

1.Where is your state of Origin(your father's state or where you have lived for over 10 years)

2. True Federalism

3.Resource control


Until all these are resolved ,we'll continue to have these really sad comments ,from people who should know better.

thats Naija for you. . . . Its a shame to be anything but your 'tribe'

geez, them no dey tire?

talk about redundancy.

Na wa
Why should he bother
Didn't someone tell us Wole Soyinka was from Dahomey

Much as any discerning body would dislike what tribalism has wrought in Nigeria, its existence in Nigeria is a fact of life that nobody can deny. If in doubt, let a Yoruba walk down to Onitsha and publicly say ''Biafra war was stupid''. Let an Igbo man go to Ibadan and say ''Awo was a fraud who seized their money and only gave back 20 pounds''. Let a Yoruba go to Kaduna and insult the sultan. Let an hausa man go to the Delta and say Niger Delta leaders are corrupt. The reaction can only be imagined.

Afaukwu:

Much as any discerning body would dislike what tribalism has wrought in Nigeria, its existence in Nigeria is a fact of life that nobody can deny. If in doubt, let a Yoruba walk down to Onitsha and publicly say ''Biafra war was stupid''. Let an Igbo man go to Ibadan and say ''Awo was a fraud who seized their money and only gave back 20 pounds''. Let a Yoruba go to Kaduna and insult the sultan. Let an hausa man go to the Delta and say Niger Delta leaders are corrupt. The reaction can only be imagined.

Your examples are a bit flawed,this isn't tribalism,. . . . .its called incitement !

An Igbo can say what I sad about Biafra and go free. A Yoruba can say what I said about Awo and go free. An hausa may insult the sultan and go free. An Ijaw may accuse their leaders of corruption and go free. But people of other tribes dare not. True or false?

Jairzinho:

Your examples are a bit flawed,this isn't tribalism,. . . . .its called incitement !

Afaukwu:

An Igbo can say what I sad about Biafra and go free. A Yoruba can say what I said about Awo and go free. An hausa may insult the sultan and go free. An Ijaw may accuse their leaders of corruption and go free. But people of other tribes dare not. True or false?

Wrong again. . . . it has nothing to do with who is saying these thngs,its incitement and has its place in the penal code.

There are many examples of tribalism which should suit the point you're trying to make.

I agree.

The Ibadan example especially was off point. As in a lot of history there which Afaukwu either doesnt know or chose to ignore.

During the tenure of OBJ, the Ijaw warlord Asari Dokubo once described Awo as evil (I forgot the other adjectives he used) and OPC directly declared him persona non grata and barred him from stepping into Yorubaland until he apologises. Recently, past uncomplimentary remarks made about Awo by another great Yoruba (I also forgot his name but that fellow was obviously friends with Zik during their political hey days) almost went unreplied by Yorubas. Now why would Asara not be able to exercise his freedom of speech in Yorubaland, especialy when he did not even insult a group (Yoruba) but just an individual?

Afaukwu:

During the tenure of OBJ, the Ijaw warlord Asari Dokubo once described Awo as evil (I forgot the other adjectives he used) and OPC directly declared him persona non grata and barred him from stepping into Yorubaland until he apologises. Recently, past uncomplimentary remarks made about Awo by another great Yoruba (I also forgot his name but that fellow was obviously friends with Zik during their political hey days) almost went unreplied by Yorubas. Now why would Asara not be able to exercise his freedom of speech in Yorubaland, especialy when he did not even insult a group (Yoruba) but just an individual?

OPC was one of the many Nigerian tribal militias supposedly "fighting for their tribe" founded with much the same agenda and around the same time as well, if I'm not mistaken.

If you base your knowledge of Yorubas on what you hear from OPC then no wonder.

I was born in Yorubaland and lived a significant part of my life in two different Yoruba states. I schooled there partly, and also worked there. I speak the language too. So when I talk about Yoruba, I know what I am saying, to a large extent. But again, this topic was not about me and Yoruba.

Afaukwu:

I was born in Yorubaland and lived a significant part of my life in two different Yoruba states. I schooled there partly, and also worked there. I speak the language too. So when I talk about Yoruba, I know what I am saying, to a large extent. But again, this topic was not about me and Yoruba.

if I had an euro for every time someone has said this, I'd be a millionaire.

However you passed through Yorubaland as a tourist, not a resident.

there's a difference in the mindset.

In any case, na everybody get story. Considering the fact the any one user can also masquerade with a minimum of up to ten other ids all with supposedly "different" personalities, anyone can claim anything at any frigging time.

I think the journalist that wrote the story about the man being Yoruba committed a major gaffe. It is common saying in journalism that when you are in doubt, don't report it. The journalist did not do his investigation well. On the man's strong refutation of the story, I think it's in order. If he didn't come out to debunk it, it could affect his political standing in Sokoto/Zamfara states. He would be regarded as a liar that lied to become governor. etc. I reason with him.

There are however several northern topshots that actually have Yoruba origin. Some make it known, some don't. For example, the late Pan-Africanist, Professor Tajudeen Abdul Raheem that died in Kenya weeks ago, claimed Funtua,Katsina state throughout his life, despite having Ogbomoso origin. But he used to say his parents are from Ogbomoso but he was from Funtua. His parent migrated from Ogbomosho to Funtua before he was born, but he was born and bred in Funtua. I also remember reading sometime ago that a commissioner in Zamfara state is a Yoruba man, also from Ogbomosho.
There are many of them like that. I served in Sokoto and I saw many Yoruba, some from my town, also claiming Sokoto indigeneship. I don't have any problem with that, what I disliked is some of them denying their Yoruba origin(imagine somebody lying to me that she was not Yoruba, taht she only lived with 'them', that was how she understand the language.). By the same token, attributing Yoruba to somebody who is not , like this man, could also be infuriating.

who cares where the man come from huh? He can be from Afganistan of Kuait, so?

This is what terrible investigative journalism causes, It stirs up tribal/ethnic sentiments that have hitherto been passive.

Afaukwu:

An Igbo can say what I sad about Biafra and go free. A Yoruba can say what I said about Awo and go free. An hausa may insult the sultan and go free. An Ijaw may accuse their leaders of corruption and go free. But people of other tribes dare not. True or false?

Outrageous comment BUT sadly True.
Tribal sentiments(though passive at times)runs deep and only needs a little external stimulant to activate it. . .Examples abound here on Nairaland.

$osisi:

Na wa
Why should he bother
Didn't someone tell us Wole Soyinka was from Dahomey

OSISI IS HAUSA !!!!!!!!!!?

TPIAH,

I do not need to say I was born in Yorubaland if I was not. Tell me if there is an advantage it confers that should propel me, of all people, to say I was born there if I was not? I am a proud and accomplished Igbo man whom Yoruba has not offered anything in life, so far. Where I worked in Yorubaland was not owned by an indigene. So, take your argumentative nature and shove it,