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Voice of Emancipation

Voice of Emancipation: Yoruba National Unity Day 2024 (Pt. 1)

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By Kayode Emola

For decades the Oyo Empire ruled many Yoruba lands, and exercising authority far beyond their territorial reach. Subjecting these Yoruba lands into their fiefdom caused many bad blood and animosities among the oppressed peoples whose lands and livelihood were been pillaged.

The Oyo chiefs unperturbed with their highhandedness of the people they exert dominion over continued to believe that nothing can bring their rule to an end. Alas, the story of Fabunni whose fiancée was raped by one of the Oyo chief’s Ajele’s (agents) changed the course of direction, not just for the Oyo empire but for the entire Yoruba land.

For over a decade in the late 19th century, Yoruba land was engulfed in long wars among several tribes on the east and west of Yoruba land who either believed in Oyo rule or against Oyo rule. The end result was the colonialisation of the entire Yoruba land by the British government.

Today, over 100 years of the signing of the peace treaty, Yoruba land still languishes under the burden of colonialism. The struggle for freedom and human rights of their people by the Ekiti parapo warriors seems today like their fighting was in vain. Our people who have lived under subjugation of one imperial power or the other still suffer under the heavy burden of Nigeria today. We have no power to free ourselves by dialogue except by picking up arms and marching down to the battlefield.

Our enemy looks formidable in our weakness and we allow them ride over us by our inability to present a formidable strategy that is able to free us once and for all from this tyrannical rule. We have become a hopeless and helpless people whose solution is to run away from our God giving land seeking refuge abroad. Many of us are now so used to living abroad that we forget about our place of origin and the troubles that drove us away from home.

When we talk about the struggle for our liberation, many laugh at us as if the freedom we talk about is an alien word. At best, they sympathise with our dilemma but the truth is that just like the Ekiti parapo warriors, all Yoruba must now come together as one to demand for their freedom. The British who came in as mediator eventually became the bigger problem, we must now deal with their colonial subjects they’ve imposed on us as our rulers.

Yoruba land has no business in Nigeria, and we cannot afford to leave this struggle for the coming generation. Those who seek to take the easy route by demanding for regionalism must understand that it will end up becoming the longest route. We would go far if we as Yoruba from all divide on the spectrum of the freedom struggle come to a round table to discuss the best approach to liberate ourselves from the shackles Nigeria has placed on our neck.

Just like September 23 1886 marked the beginning of a renewed hope of unity in Yoruba land, we must make September 23 2024 a day where all Yoruba would reflect on the struggles of our hero’s past. Whilst Idande, and the Yoruba Regional Alliance are planning a grand event to celebrate this year’s event in Ile-Ife, we must give them every support we can in their quest for Yoruba unity. Those in London can also support groups like Think Yoruba First who are putting up similar events to bring all Yoruba at home and the diaspora together.

Above all, we must remember that the struggle for freedom, human rights and the rule of law is not about politics, religion or sexual affinity. It is the very basis of our existence and the realisation that all humans are born free and should have the right to make choices for themselves without external interference.

I implore my Yoruba people to take this year’s celebration to reflect on the sacrifices of those that lost their lives for the cause of freedom in the Kirii war. Let their death mean something for those of us alive to witness their struggle for our liberty. We must not relent in demanding justice for the millions of our people trapped in abject poverty and unable to find a way out.

We must understand that the time for total liberation is now and we cannot afford to relent in our quest for justice. Just like the Oyo empire fell to the British rule, we must strive to bring our Yoruba country outside the Nigerian rule and establish a government that will cater for the needs of all rather than the needs of the few who find themselves in political position.

This is the time for real change and we must be prepared to do everything we can to liberate ourselves from the Nigerian mess. I hope those that are still sitting on the fence will join forces with progressives like us in demanding the reestablishment of our Yoruba country so that our children and their children can live a better life.

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Voice of Emancipation

Voice of Emancipation: Roadmap to Yoruba Nation

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By Kayode Emola

We all know that there is not one event that ruined the fortunes of Nigeria today. In fact, Nigeria suffered from a series of historical, political, and socio-economic woes that is shaping its many struggles today.

In the words of the US President Donald Trump, Nigeria is a disgraced country in the comity of nations. For that reason, he has stated that the US is coming guns-a-blazing to rescue Nigeria from its myriad of security problems that the government has refused to tackle.

Many people agree that Nigeria has failed, and the return to civilian rule in 1999 has not brought the expected hopes that the people thought democracy would bring. The systemic corruption, ethno-religious divisions, and weak institutions that are bedevilling the country have done little to better the lot of the population.

Therefore, when we eventually get our Yoruba nation, one would expect that the problems that bedevilled Nigeria will confront the new nation. The Yoruba people, through our self-determination route, have always emphasised the need to pursue a non-violent approach to our autonomy.

We have documented several atrocities committed against our Yoruba people, from kidnapping to ethnic cleansing, and the nonchalant attitudes of our state governors toward our plight. Some Yoruba people have even clamoured for restructuring as a pit stop to self-determination, knowing full well that this is not palatable to the Fulani oligarchy controlling Nigeria.

We have therefore insisted that if Nigeria fails to convene an assembly where all the ethnic nationalities can have a meaningful dialogue, the end of Nigeria may be brutal and violent. In the end, the breakup of Nigeria will be inevitable, and everyone will lose substantially from a chaotic breakup.

International law favours negotiated, peaceful settlement as unilateral declaration without broad domestic and international support is politically difficult. However, if the US were to intervene in Nigeria with the level of insecurity going on, it creates a clear pathway for the unilateral declaration of independence of the southern peoples of Nigeria.

Our mass campaign for Yoruba independence has gained prominence and support in international circles. We must begin to show what the Yoruba nation means in concrete terms and the benefits of an autonomous Yoruba nation for our people.

Our detailed blueprint covering constitution, minority rights, revenue sharing, pensions, public services, security, and judiciary should now be watertight and ready for consumption by the Yoruba public. Our economic plan must show fiscal viability, tax base, trade, and transition programs, as international actors and investors will judge us by the quality of our state-building plan.

Where possible, our constitution must be made up of transparent consultative referenda to measure support for the transition into full statehood. Our elections must be devoid of the cash and carry politics practiced in Nigeria, where only the moneybags and their stooges occupy political positions.

In all of this, we should not forget to engage the international diplomatic community and our diaspora population. Strengthening friendship with foreign parliaments with careful briefings on our pathway to international recognition.

We must recognise that international recognition is political and not automatic. According to the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States to be recognised as an independent nation, our permanent population, defined territory, capacity to enter trade relations with other states, and our government structure will stand us in good stead.

Above all, we must recognise that the life and livelihood of the ordinary Yoruba citizen matter. They should be the focal point of any actions in the emergence of the Yoruba nation. We must ensure that the Yoruba people are better for it and that the efforts to pursue an independent Yoruba nation are worth it for them.

I therefore enjoin our comrades to be battle-ready when the US comes to Nigeria guns-a-blazing to the rescue of the Christian population. This is our moment in history when fate has met our preparation, and we must be ready to seize the moment when the inevitable happens.

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Voice of Emancipation

Voice of Emancipation: Trump’s Designation of Nigeria As a Country of Concern

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By Kayode Emola

For many Yoruba people clamoring for their own independent sovereign nation, the designation of Nigeria by President Donald J. Trump as a ‘country of particular concern’ was a welcome development. For many of us, this was long overdue, as it seemed no one was listening to our cry for help in the past.

At last, it suddenly felt that we were being listened to, and what we have been clamouring for is coming to us from the most unlikely sources. Whilst many Christian communities were being brutalised by the combination of Boko Haram and the Fulani terrorists in conjunction with their foreign and local sponsors, the Nigerian government stood by doing nothing to help.

They allowed the Fulani terrorists to run riot on defenceless communities in the name of Jihad, when the truth is that these people themselves are not even religious. They hide in the name of religion to commit atrocities that are beyond imagination, creating fear wherever they go.

In September 2025, more than twenty communities were displaced in Kwara and Kogi States by these terrorists. We did not hear any word from the President of Nigeria, nor the Governors of Kwara or Kogi State. They went about their business as though the lives of the citizens didn’t matter anymore.

As a matter of fact, the Governor of Kwara State went with President Tinubu to commission a project at the end of September in Imo State, whilst his own state was being attacked. This goes to show that the so-called political leaders are just in politics for the optics rather than the opportunity to serve their people.

For all intents and purposes, the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern must mean something for the ordinary people whose lives are being affected by the wanton killings. It should not just be another rhetoric on the pages of our screens and print media, and I am glad President Trump is making serious moves towards it.

I am particularly thrilled that President Trump’s statement is being backed by action and that the US Secretary of War is now on standby to mobilise soldiers into Nigeria. For far too long, the terrorists in Nigeria have been kidnapping and maiming innocent people whilst the Nigerian army stands by and watches.

The government of Nigeria, too, instead of dealing with this menace, is romancing the terrorists and allowing them to join the Nigerian army. What an abomination! To me, this is a national disgrace by the Nigerian government. It shows that the government of Nigeria is the real culprit of the crime and is creating a narrative to soothe their nefarious actions.

The Fulani are a deceptive people who stole Hausa lands in Northern Nigeria by stealth from the original landowners. They surreptitiously coveted all the Hausa kingdoms of Northern Nigeria into their emirate. They had hoped that they could replicate their achievements of coveting the Hausa land everywhere else in Nigeria.

However, they themselves have now realised that they have moved too fast and too soon. Yoruba, Igbo, and other ethnic nationalities in Southern Nigeria gave them a run for their money despite the humongous support they received from the Federal Government during the reign of Buhari.

We as Yoruba must come out with the full facts of the Nigerian situation to the President of the United State so that we can get the appropriate help we desire. We must ensure that President Trump is adequately informed to make the right decisions that will be a win for us all.

Nigeria is not supposed to be a nation, and even the British who amalgamated us know it. That is why they used the word amalgamation rather than union. The amalgamation was supposed to be in part and practice, and not necessarily the formation of a nation.

However, a lot of our Yoruba people who cannot see beyond their noses do not know what the amalgamation means. If they had known what we as Yoruba have lost because of the union of Southern and Northern Nigeria, I am very sure they would be the ones clamouring for our sovereign Yoruba nation.

The time has come in the history of our people where we must capitalise on the goodwill of the US President to achieve our Yoruba nation. The US doesn’t want to be bogged down in an endless war in the most populous black nation on earth. We must do everything within our power to ensure that the Yoruba nation gets the right support it deserves from the world’s powers.

Therefore, if we can present our case that the best thing that can happen for us as Yoruba is to have our own independent nation where we can secure our own borders. We would help in solving the conundrum of insecurity that we find ourselves in.

We need to make the US government aware that we are by far the largest trading nation with the US on the African continent, and it will do us Yoruba, and the US a great deal of good to partner together to create a win-win solution for all parties.

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Voice of Emancipation

Voice of Emancipation: What About the Coup Plot?

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By Kayode Emola

It is more than two weeks since the rumour of a coup plot resurfaced in Nigeria. It is the first attempt at a coup since the beginning of the fourth republic in 1999. For all intents and purposes, I believe it marks the start of the end of Nigeria, considering Nigeria’s history and the prevalence of military coups.

However, the most surprising of it all is that the presidency is in denial of the coup plot or even admitting it to the Nigerian populace. Yet, the president is making dramatic changes that suggest he is very unsettled by this development.

If anything at all, I believe what we witnessed was just a hoax and the real coup is about to happen soon. There is no smokescreen without a fire, and the president had better watch his back, especially with his recent reshuffling of his service chiefs.

If anyone around the president gives him advice, they should know that he just made the wrong moves. If not, why will the military intelligence where his National Security Adviser (NSA) is involved in a coup, and to date, the Security Adviser is still holding his position. It beats my imagination that this president cannot wake up and smell the coffee.

Of the said 16 military officers who were implicated in the phantom coup, the majority were from the north, and many of them are Fulani. The National Security Adviser is also a Fulani man, and it is the north that is hellbent on throwing the country into confusion, as they are definitely unhappy with Tinubu’s presidency and rightly so.

Maybe President Tinubu forgot what happened in July 1966, when Gowon was appointed as Aguiyi-Ironsi’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to placate the north. Ironsi, by appointing Gowon, did not know that he is digging his own grave, as Gowon would later mastermind the coup of 1966, where he eventually succeeded Ironsi.

If there is going to be a coup plot in Nigeria today, the first person who will be in the know will be the National Security Adviser. If President Bola Tinubu thinks that the one person he can trust to protect him is his Fulani friend, then he is, of all presidents, the most pitiable.

I would love to say Nigeria is dying, but the truth is that Nigeria died a long time ago, and the present rulers are doing a good job in preserving a carcass and calling it a nation. Everything Tinubu protested before he became president, he is doing ten times over, and yet he doesn’t bat an eyelid.

If, after criticizing the Federal Government when he was in the opposition, he is doing worse than the government he criticized. It shows that Nigeria has no hope of redemption, and the politicians are just stringing the people along.

If the Yoruba people know what is good for them, they should start preparing for their exit from this ungodly union called Nigeria. We should not put our hope on one of us being the president of Nigeria.

We should ensure that Tinubu is the last president of Nigeria. This is because, whether we like it or not, after Tinubu’s presidency, the Fulani will take over the presidency, and by that time, they will come with vengeance for us, Yoruba.

Whether Tinubu leaves the presidency by the ballot or a coup, Yorubaland will never see the development it truly deserves among the comity of nations. Our people are scattered abroad like sheep without a shepherd. Many are in unspeakable trauma abroad with no home or hope to return to.

If Tinubu’s presidency is not bringing any true meaningful development to our people, then I don’t think we should expect any miracle when a Fulani man becomes president of Nigeria. I cannot emphasise enough the great danger that awaits the Yoruba people if we fail to act now while there is still an opportunity.

Therefore, the time is now to begin our exit preparations from this contraption, Nigeria. There is nothing to keep us in Nigeria, and I cannot believe that we will miss Nigeria after our liberation. So the choice is in our hands to either leave Nigeria now or become a vassal state.

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