Some Yoruba groups under the banner of Agbekoya Warriors, Majiyagbe, Odua People’s Congress (OPC) ‘New Era’, Federation of Yoruba Consiousenes and Culture (Alajobi) and Oodua Redemption Alliance, on Friday evening, met in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital and advocated common front for Yoruba people ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The groups reiterated the need for the people in Southwest to embrace themselves and defend the unity of Yorubaland.
Tracing the history of Nigeria since independence, leaders of the groups in their separate remarks said continuous disunity of Yoruba is dangerous for the future of the region.
Speaking in Ibadan during the Yoruba Unity Day celebration, 136 years after the end of the Kiriji war with the theme: “Food, Physical and Digital Security of Yorubaland in time of Dire Criss” the president, Odua Redemption Alliance and the convener of the meeting, Dr Victor Taiwo said unity is key in achieving the Yoruba nation.
He lamented that Southwest has all resources to cater for its citizens, however, said the system of government being run in Nigeria does not give way for a better future.
“We have the prospect of becoming one of the biggest countries in the world, we are one of the most blessed nations in the world yet, we are suffering, we are concentrating on our project (Yoruba nation) intellectually without violence.
“They have killed all Odu’a Group of companies and the legacies of Awolowo, the Southwest governors were forced to go to Abuja to beg for allocation which is less than two per cent of what is supposed to be our resources in Yorubaland.”
In his remark, one of the Yoruba leaders, Chief Owolabi Oladejo, said it’s time for the Yoruba people to look into their situation and decide on what is next ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“There is poverty in the land. It is sad that Yorubas have become second-class citizens in their own country. It is unthinkable that some people have been empowered to protect themselves and invade the territory of others. Development in Yorubaland has been stalled since 1959 because we have not really benefited from the independence.”
Earlier in his remark, Chief Deji Osibogun, said this is another opportunity for the Yorubas to liberate themselves from slavery, or else, the unborn generation would suffer for it.
