Some Yoruba pressure groups, including Afenifere, Agbekoya and Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), on Thursday converged in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital and threatened to thwart the conduct of the forthcoming governorship elections in both Ekiti and Osun states billed to take place this year.
They said they were against the elections unless Nigeria is restructured to “free Yorubas from oppression and incursion of Fulani herdsmen”.
The groups made this position at its summit tagged 2018 Yorubas April Declaration.
In a communique signed by a 109-year-old leader of Agbekoya peasant farmers in Yorubaland, Pa Ayalu Olalere; a traditionalist, Ayoke Osunfunke and a community leader, Chief Raufu Oluokun, leaders of the groups, maintained that Yoruba nation will pull out out of Nigeria if their demands were not meet.
The groups in the communique declared that “Yoruba world wide begin a series of action considered fit and within the ambits of the law of the federal republic of Nigeria and the charter of the United Nations freedom to free Yorubaland from the shackles of poverty and corruption, bad governance and breakdown of law and order as we are presently experiencing in Nigeria.
“We give notice that unless our demands for a stronger and more virile nation is accepted, Yorubas will pull out of the 1914 Amalgamation treaty that gave birth to Nigeria.
“We reject the present constitution of the Federal Government until so amended to fulfil our expectations in Yorubaland
“We demand as a first step the restructuring of the country to give us a region in Yoruba land before any election is conducted in Yorubaland. Immediate notice is served on Ekiti and Osun states.
“All true sons and daughters of Yoruba land must immediately imbibe and adhere to this call for freedom and unity of Yorubaland in the spirit of the Yoruba Parapo Treaty.
“Take note that saboteurs and traitors will reap their benefits in the land of Oduduwa”.
Other Yoruba leaders present at the summit include, son of the late Governor-General of the defunct Western region, Prince Gboyega Aderemi; Otunba Deji Osibogun; Comrades Idowu Fagade, R. A. Balogun, Sunday Odusanya, Oyebamidele Akanmu and Mr. Wasiu Ajamu, among others.
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