The Nigeria’s breakup agenda that Nnamdi Kanu of Igbo Land started towards achieving a Biafra Republic, violently too without popular intraregional check, until it spread to Yoruba Land, has finally hit brick wall as Ondo State pulls out of the idea of Oduduwa Republic.
This was as Governor of Ondo State, South West Nigeria, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, Monday warned the self-styled tribalist fighter, Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a. Sunday Igboho and his cohorts agitating for break up of the country to stay away from the state.
It will be recalled that the well known Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s thug, claiming to be fighting for the “liberation of Yoruba Land from Fulani race”, had last Thursday declared the Ngbati tribe an independent nation, saying “Yoruba is no longer part of Nigeria”.
Speaking while swearing in the first female Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Catherine Oladunni-Odu, in Akure on Monday, the governor said Ondo people are good with being Nigerians and will continue to stay in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said: “To comment on the current agitation by some people who express grievances arising from the challenge of nationhood.
“The noises generated by seeming inaction or passive indifference on the part of the elected and appointed representatives of the government at all levels appear to be responsible for the growing disaffection in the land.
“There is problem, no doubt. While some have been measured in their reaction to this problem, others have been less diplomatic. It is common to find groups and individuals purporting to act or speak on behalf of the rest of us. Did you ask them to speak for us? People just stand up and say they are speaking for a people. Who invest you with that authority?
“While it is right for citizens to discuss, agitate even fight to right perceived wrongs and even people (asking) for self-determination, I don’t think there is anything wrong with this but this must be done within an acceptable parameter.
“We cannot continue the way we are going, all of us must be concerned and agree to achieve a desirable end. There must be common platform through which the demands for the most mundane to the sublime be presented.
“There must be general consensus. This must be articulated and presented after rigorous engagements on the level of intellectual and agendum for the action.”
Continuing, Akeredolu said, “Self-determination must be a collective programme of action. Nobody can speak when others are not part of it.
“Let me state unequivocally that Ondo State under my watch will stay in the Federal Republic of Nigeria as constituted.
“We recognise that there are reasons that certain anomalies be put right. Nobody is running away from it. But we will continue to encourage dialogue as an effective tool in resolving disputes. We will also not shy from joining others to insist on socio-economic justice.
“We will, however, not subscribe to banditry and recklessness in putting forward our demands. We will not in Ondo State subscribe to that.
“So, if people are shouting out there at this time, Igboho will speak for you. It is not going to work and those who have not been speaking for us will not speak for us. Let us be clear on it. We will stay in Nigeria. We are not running away.”
In the meantime, The DEFENDER’s checks revealed that Igboho’s backers, though went too far, are only interested in making 2023 difficult for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde reason the Oduduwa Republic agitation after anti-Fulani campaigns failed thickened more in Oyo State.
Virtually majority of traditional rulers in Ibarapa Local Government Area of the state supported Sunday Igboho in the tribal disturbances whereas, an Osun State Senator exposed that some of the Yoruba Obas, backing him to kill and evict Fulani on excuse of kidnappings and killing, were themselves the ones sponsoring the kidnap of their own people to tag it in Fulani people, although no tribe has bad egg of its own.
The first to counter the Sunday Igboho-led self centered agenda were the Iwo people of Osun State and their monarch, the Oluwo of Iwo, Emperor AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, who staged a rally on Friday with a bold statement supporting One Nigeria.
They called the bluff of Igboho and his co-travellers and the Alake of Egba Land, Oba Michael Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, followed suit, asking those talking about Oduduwa Republic to shelf the idea.
A respondent said, “Gradually the secret agenda, for which those elements who endangered an entire Fulani race they singled out as number enemy of other races in the country, is beginning to unfold. I, however, warn anyone that wages needless, unjustifiable war against President Muhammadu Buhari ends up in shame and self destruction. That is what you have seen with Obasanjo, Atiku, Saraki and all over 44 political parties that failed to unseat him in 2019 and who are now more possibly responsible for the resurgent insecurity in the land”, he said.
Sunday igboho is a terrorist