The Oduduwa Development Initiative has called for the cessation of the Yoruba Nation agitation, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to move Nigeria forward.
Following the recent invasion of the Oyo State Government Secretariat in the Agodi area of Ibadan, Oyo State, by some Yoruba Nation agitators led by Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, widow of late MKO Abiola, the National President of the group, Akinyele Olasunbo, made the call. The agitators, wearing military camouflage and armed with guns, attempted to hoist their flag on the premises of the state House of Assembly located inside the secretariat. About 29 members of the group have been arrested by the Oyo State Police command, and the state government has also demolished a building where the Yoruba Nation agitators were said to be operating from.
Meanwhile, leading activists of the Yoruba Nation, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, and Professor Banji Akintoye, have distanced themselves from the invasion.
Olasunbo stated, “I don’t think anyone should be disturbing himself at this point than to just join hands to make Nigeria move forward. Everyone should join the New Hope agenda of Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to succeed. I think they should shun this agitation and go and rest for now.”
On his part, the National Secretary of Campaign for Democracy, Mr. Olufemi Lawson, who acknowledged that the agitation for self-determination was legitimate, said there was a need for it to follow lawful processes.
“The call for self-determination is not illegitimate. People can come together and decide they don’t want to be part of a nation anymore, but such must follow a legitimate process,” he said.
Lawson condemned the attempted breach of government facilities, describing the invasion of the secretariat as an act of lawlessness carried out by people who were ignorant of the law. He expressed relief that the Yoruba Nation agitators had distanced themselves from the unauthorized actions, attributing the incident to illiteracy and manipulation by opportunistic individuals.
