11/08, 18:52] +234 803 898 …: The Yorubas had explored every opportunity in accomplishing the Oduduwa dream internationally. Prof. Banji Akintoye pursued it with vigour and excellence at the global stage in which serious formidable barriers were either pulled down or broken.
Today Oduduwa is the 45th member of UNPO, a group of unrecognised states under international law, which is the step and precusor to a full recognition. The 76th UN General Assembly meeting bowed to the well articulated demands for statehood presented by the crackteam of Yoruba intelligentsia comprising of international lawyers, jurists, administrators, human rights experts and other outstanding professionals led by the very cerebral and erudite Professor emeritus of History, Akintoye.
A force majeure had been declared on the illegitimate and dubious Nigerian constitution and this created quite some excitement within diplomatic circles. It created jitters in Abuja that the federal government had to hire black Americans to guise as Nigerians, and sponsored protests all over New York before the UN, asking that the country be allowed to remain intact.
The Yoruba nation provided the top of the agenda deliberations at the UN general assembly for the session, and was actually heading to the Security Council for the final stamp on the demand for statehood. The middle belt, the entire south and even indigenous Hausas joined the bandwagon of demands with a solitary case for an Annang nation from Akwa Ibom which I considered picayunish.
All of a sudden the Tinubu factor came in to burst all bubbles and diffuse the excitement that was gathering for the emancipation of the indigeneous peoples of Nigeria from the excruciating Lugardian yoke that is Nigeria. It appeared at that moment that the Yorubas were more disposed to the Tinubu presidency than the intellectually laden struggles of Prof. It got to a stage that he was almost openly discountenanced by his own people, and conspirators and betrayers surrounded Igboho, such that he had to make a quick dash from the traitors that were gathering around him like bees.
Today, I am not too sure of the tenacity of that well thought out struggle for self determination vis a vis the resilience of the pragmatic and erudite idealist of a Prof. But I am not also sure the Yorubas are well settled with the ongoing Tinubu aspiration and they may soon begin to look back with regrets that they allowed the derailment of that purposeful venture which rather turned into an option for an individual’s political dreams and aspirations. Nothing can be more constricting and parochial, as far as I am concerned. I do not also think that the Yorubas would be more content with agbado, ewa and cassava, than their eclipse and emergence in the almost evolved and crystallised Oduduwa Republic.
[11/08, 20:23] +234 803 778 …: ….. do you know Tinubu’s mind? Do you know if he’s tacitly banking on same protocol, but wired on different methodology? I mean, what if he believes that the closest route to that end is through Aso Rock? What if he succumbs to it at the end of his 2nd tenure, in case, his dream becomes a reality. Reason, I prefer him to Atiku. Assuming there were no Obi?
[11/08, 20:57] +234 810 898 …: This is what emi lokan can do to a race that is as unstable as the waters upon the sea bed. I have always submitted that the day the descendants of oduduwa will say “to your tenth Oh Israel ” that’s the day this contraption called Nigeria will cease to exist. But for now, they are satisfied with the crumbs from the Lugardian Table. Keep shouting EMI LOKAN.
???
[11/08, 21:43] +234 806 245 …: Dr, there’s no need to insult a whole race because of a person’s ambition. Tinubu has never supported the Yoruba Nation agitation and those behind the Yoruba Nation never counted on his support because they know his ambition is to rule the country. There are also those who don’t support the Yoruba Nation agitation nor support the Tinubu candidacy. If you actually know the Yorubas, they don’t do the bandwagon, most follow their convictions that’s why among those opposed to Sunday Igboho’s Yoruba Nation and Tinubu’s candidacy are Yorubas and they are doing so with their full chest.
[11/08, 22:00] +234 810 898 …: I am still wondering Emi lokan from a single individual will truncated such a powerful vision by a Nation of a great people, I don’t get it.
[11/08, 22:45] +234 806 245 …: Has it been truncated? Have those who are promoting the project abandoned it for the Emilokan project? Did the majority of the Yorubas buy into the project ab initio? If majority had bought into it, Nigeria would have long been out of existence.
The truth of the matter is that there are several Yorubas who are even Obidient, that should tell you they were not for the Yoruba Nation and definitely not for the Emilokan. The majority of the Yorubas have always canvassed for a restructured Nigeria and not total pulling out and for your information sir, the reason for many Yorubas not supporting the Tinubus candidacy is because he and His party abandoned the restructuring idea of the country that campaigned with before they won the election in 2015. That’s why many are not trusting him today to deliver whatever he might be promising to do if elected. The reason he became a star was because he galvanized the Yorubas to demand restructuring, fiscal federalism, resource control from the Obasanjo administration who believed in the status quo. Yorubas will stand by you if you agree on the same principles but will abandon you when you betray such principles.
[11/08, 23:16] +234 803 898 …: How come the Oduduwa quest appeared truncated and Prof Akitoye suddenly silent? The mainstream Yoruba intelligentsia deliberately de-marketed the noble cause and latched onto a Tinubu presidency, that’s all.
[11/08, 23:28] +234 810 898 …: My problem with the Yorubas and South West in general is that they have been unable to synergize with the South East and South South to achieve this true federalism, they are still playing superiority complex politics.
For now the North is still comfortable with the feeding bottle federalism. Very vexatious.
[11/08, 23:35] +234 803 898 …: Except for some few musings expressed in hush tones by Igboho sometimes past, there has been no talk about since then. It was the vicious opposition to the cause and the overwhelming pressure from the political moguls of Yorubaland that informed Igboho’s attempt at fleeing. Prof was literally boxed into a corner in taciturnity, just wondering what really has hit him. Some weeks back, he made a feeble attempt at explanation – that the the train would return to track, but nobody was convinced. Particularly my humble self. I’m quite sure that the UN is not looking forward to the rescusitation of the project anytime, but some Yoruba groups are currently making futile efforts at pushing for it, having dawned on them that the emilokan project is not catching on with Nigerians at all. The rest of the nationalities transcending the political divides that found hope in the agitation and affiliated themselves with the quest feel utterly disappointed that the west would suddenly make a volte face and abandon such noble cause midsea without a consideration of their merged aspirations and interests which are in tandem with the Oduduwa cause for a presidential pact that’s as slippery and elusive as an eel. Now, here we are – no Oduduwa, and apparently going by the wobbly movement of the Tinubu train, there would be no presidency!
[11/08, 23:37] +234 806 245 …: Are you sure sir that the quest has been truncated? Or do you think Prof Akintoye has abandoned the quest with his supposed “silence”?
My point is still that at the height of the Yoruba Nation, majority of the Yoruba people didn’t buy into it, (definitely some supported it, saying the Yoruba Nation can flourish independent of the Nigerian nation). We may be confusing the support Sunday Igboho had from the majority of the Yoruba people during the Igangan killings (which is purely based on the security of the people) which he championed as the same support for the Yoruba Nation which he later led the campaign. I doubt it today if majority of the Yorubas are actually in favour of the Tinubu presidency because just like we have the die hard BATists, we have several Yorubas especially the younger folks who are Obidients while those who are ATIKUlates are also in their numbers. For example, the leadership of the Afeniferes as led by Pa Ayo Adebanjo have at different fora supported the Obi candidacy so lumping the whole race or insulting the whole ethnic group because of those who support Tinubu is not fair in my opinion.
[11/08, 23:46] +234 806 245 …: And you don’t have that problem with the SE and the SS? How much of this true federalism was achieved when GEJ was in power and was supported by the majority of the SE and SS politicians? How much of this true federalism was achieved when those from the NW were in power? The truth is the average Nigerian politician has not interest of the country at heart but his/her own selfish interests, if not Nigeria won’t be like this.
Presently I am supporting Obi but I won’t be disappointed if he gets to power and Nigeria is not restructured.
[11/08, 23:58] +234 803 898 …: Very possible. I agree with you and that has been my fears. Buhari was talking restructuring from both sides of his mouth to the point that it sounded like his other name, when he was pushing for the presidency.
[12/08, 00:00] +234 806 245 …: I guess the disappointment came from the fact that many people outside the west believes this is a project being championed by the majority of the SW people. It’s not.
Let me use myself as an example, I believe a strong united restructured and we’ll run Nigeria will be better and will pull more weight among the international community than any of the components parts no matter how well run those component parts are including the Oduduwa Nation. I also believe that all the problems that ails the present Nigerian nation won’t automatically disappear when we get our Yoruba Nation because many of those who are running this entity aground also are of the Yoruba Nation and won’t suddenly change when we have our separate republic but I also believe that it’s better that the component parts goes their separate ways if we can not live together PEACEFULLY and our being together will always be problematic. Having said that I didn’t support any Yoruba Nation agitation and I know several people within my circle who didn’t and are still not supporting the project. Also, I know those who are repulsive to the fact that the FACE of the project or the person championing the struggle is one ILLITERATE in a nation of many intellectuals so never supported the struggle.
Another fact that the ASIWAJU group did not at least openly support it because of the ambition of their principal and they did everything in their power to oppose it bearing in mind that they are influential within this government which is also opposing same. So they have more backing from the government to run the project aground (their thinking being that if the support the present government in running it aground, the president will support their presidential bid). So that they didn’t support Sunday Igboho is obvious but they are definitely not working for the entire Yoruba Nation and that’s why I don’t want people’s anger directed at the whole Yoruba Nation because the whole idea initially wasn’t of everyone and it’s not everyone that’s opposed to it. There are many that are indifferent to the idea.
[12/08, 00:24] +234 810 898 …: I was born in Lagos, but schooled in the East and North respectively.
I have observed that there is a subtle dislike for the East by the West, which is so obviously and openly displayed by the North in the entity called Nigeria. There is also a very great distrust amongst the North and the West for the East, and thats why they have carried on since 1970, after the war as if the East doesn’t matter. But the Obedient Movement is presently like a moving train, a revolution that nothing may be able to stop, and most Nigerians are beginning to wake up to the reality that it will no longer be business as usual. This is a battle to overthrow the old order for the new.
Thus we are hoping that Obi will be the unifying factor, and just like the stone that the builders rejected, he may just turn out to be the Chief Cornerstone.
For some of us in the middle belt, we had always looked at the Southwest as the region and “saviour” of Nigeria that will drive home TRUE FEDERALISM, but before we could shout uhuru, they started shouting emilokan. My disappointment honestly with by the South West knows no bounds. Highly Educated, exposed, connected internationally, naturally endowed, but cowed and humbled by the caliphate. I am yet to be convinced that emilokan is not beyond one man’s life’s long selfish ambition.
[12/08, 00:59] +234 806 245 …: Unfortunately, I doubt if you actually knows the Yorubas in character. The opposition to the Emilokans is even vociferous among the Yorubas example was the recently held Osun State election. You’ll be surprised by the outcome of the 2023 election based on the results.
I understand your disappointment on your hope that the Yorubas will drive the agitation for TRUE FEDERALISM but many Yorubas are also disappointed because the basis of their switching their support from GEJ to Buhari was the promise implementation of true federalism as championed by the Tinubu group when Obasanjo was in power (they even took his government to court several times) but failed to do same when they got to power. The greater disappointment was that Tinubu and co didn’t say anything to challenge it and like I said earlier that’s why many are not even supporting his bid now because they can’t trust him again.
And I’m saying this has nothing to do with the whole group, you people just mistake the influential Tinubu group as the essence of the whole Yoruba Nation, that’s where you all got it wrong.
[12/08, 01:17] +234 803 898 …: We never percieved much opposition to the Oduduwa cause while it was raging save for few pockets of disagreement from the right-centre political elites in Yorubaland particularly of the Tinubu group (excepting the very urbane Akeredolu), that wanted it capsized at once. When Igboho emerged on the scene, the large mass of Yorubas welcomed him with so much enthusiasm which accounted for his initial success and gains. How this strong gusto nose dived suddenly beats everybody’s imagination and it was clear his kinsmen no longer had his back. The events culminating to the dehumanising DSSS raids in his house were quite known in addition to the intra yoruba conspiracies against him which were clearly expressed by some notable Yoruba monarchs. I give it to the west that they can be formidable and purposeful in their political quests and demands when done with tenacity of purpose, but they can also be erratic in their disposition, which most times come not as a flash in the pan, and not necessarily the true content of their character. This time they were easily swayed from the great navigation they charted, which even Britain, in all its vacillations on the issue, found worthy of consideration as being deserving. It was actually a sudden turn around from the standpoint, uninfluenced by any clear cut opposition that slaughtered the noble Oduduwa quest on the altar of a self centered and a self serving individual opportunism.
[12/08, 01:40] +234 806 245 …: The truth is that the support Igboho enjoyed from the majority of the people myself inclusive wasn’t for his support for Yoruba Nation, it was his agitation for the security of the people especially when the Dr was killed in Igangan by the alleged Fulani people who he unilaterally declared they should leave the town but of course many didn’t buy his agitation for the Yoruba Nation which he later turn his movement to. Of course some still supported him but not everyone who supported his anti-Fulani agitation also supported his Yoruba Nation agitation.
Anyway, I can’t deny that some people might be playing politics with the issue but definitely the support or opposition of the average Yorubaman on the issue of Yoruba Nation had nothing to do with Tinubu’s candidacy that’s why I am not comfortable with the sellout tag on the whole group because of Tinubu.
[12/08, 02:04] +234 803 898 …: Recall that the federal government came with an alluring distraction of constitutional amendment and state creation at the hieght of the struggle and sought for memoranda. The Yoruba nation emphatically told the world that it was not interested in such seeming agenda that’s destructive to it’s eternal quest, and maintained this position throughout the Omoagege legislative jamboree!
[12/08, 04:56] +234 803 778 …: … but, should both projects be mutually exclusive for now? I mean the Yoruba- UNPO status & the quest for the presidency? Aren’t both struggles supposed to be pari passu until recognized as a full UN state party before her total disengagement can be contemplated? After all, the UNPO has neither confered Yoruba a soveriegn status nor made her disengagement, a condition for same, on a time certain. Last time I checked, she’s still a component of Nigeria despite the development.
[12/08, 07:43] +234 803 898 …: They were told to choose between the two as condition precedent for internal any aspiration particularly to the presidency. Same way they ll remind the East each time they raise their voices on their turn for the presidency. This became more reinforced when the Yorubas declined from participating in the states creation exercise. Then again the pro Tinubu’s saw that the struggle could mar their chances at the presidency, started to oppose it from day one, and decided to kill it kpatakpata, which they succeeded.
[12/08, 10:29] +234 810 898 …: This one appears to be more of a personal vendetta with Tinibu.