Tinubu once questioned why herdsmen were blamed for the incessant abductions in Southwest Nigeria, where he hails from.
The Lagos State governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has condoled with the Ondo State government and the people of the state on the death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Expressing sadness over the death of the governor, Rhodes-Vivour described Akeredolu as a Nigerian leader who did not play politics with the safety of his people, pointing out that the late governor championed the formation of the Southwest security outfit codenamed Amotekun.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rhodes-Vivour said, “The passing of H.E Akeredolu is extremely saddening.
“He championed the formation of Amotekun, and today, the people of the region are grateful for his courage.
“I will remember him for his courage, for standing up for his people and for providing leadership when it mattered the most. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”
Rhodes-Vivour, while eulogising Akeredolu however took a sharp jab at President Bola Tinubu, saying that Akeredolu never asked “where are the cows?” when people across the state were massacred.
“When people across his state were being massacred, he did not ask “where are the cows,” nor did he play politics with the safety of his people,” he said.
Tinubu once questioned why herdsmen were blamed for the incessant abductions in Southwest Nigeria, where he hails from.
Tinubu, who was attacked by Nigerians for keeping quiet over the deadly activities of Fulani herdsmen across the country, on July 14, 2019, said the kidnapping was not peculiar to any ethnic group or a particular set of people.
Though Afenifere said the attackers were herdsmen, the former Lagos State Governor, now Nigeria’s President while fielding questions from journalists after paying a condolence visit to the Afenifere leader, Reuben Fasoranti, whose daughter, Funke Olakunri, was killed by gunmen along Kajola–Ore Road, said that those blaming Fulani herdsmen for the death did not have evidence.
He said, “I am extremely concerned about security but I don’t want stigma. I can go through the history of kidnapping and we know how it started, where it all started, there are a lot of copycats, how many years ago have we faced insecurity in this country and cases of kidnapping? Is Evans a herdsman?
“I don’t want to be political, but I will ask, where are the cows?”