By Kayode Emola
When the quest for an independent Yoruba nation took off fully in 2018, the focus was to begin a grassroots mass awareness and mobilisation. In early 2020 the decision was taken to stage a worldwide protest across the globe on 1st October which was supposed to be an Independence Day celebration for Nigeria. Every Yoruba son and daughter at home and in the diaspora was expected to come out for that protest to drive home our demand for a sovereign Yoruba nation.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 happened and this dream was scuppered as many nations were on lockdown due to the spread of the infectious disease. However, Yoruba people in the UK and some other European countries like Italy, Germany, and France were not deterred and went ahead with the protest rally. This made our demand resonate with the international community about the plight of our people back home under the oppressive Nigerian regime.
Whilst many of our brethren at home did not turn up for the rally, one particular person of note who held a mini rally around his Ibadan residence was Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho. This mini-rally encouraged many of our people back home to identify with our struggle and gave the Buhari government a run for its money.
Today, the UK team of the self-determination struggle has rekindled the flame of the international campaign with the support and presence of Chief Sunday Adeyemo live in London. The presence of Sunday Igboho will no doubt encourage a lot of our people whose hearts are dampened regarding self-determination and the continued deterioration of the Nigerian economy.
It is now expected that our people all over the world will see this rekindled flame of our campaign as the dawn of a new era. We need to use this opportunity of the Yoruba nation campaign in London to rally our people at home, in other countries in Europe, and on other continents to begin to organise massive campaign rallies wherever they are in the world.
They need to take our message of Yoruba exit under the Nigerian government control to the leaders of their countries of residence just like the UK delegation did. The UK delegation in the company of Chief Sunday Adeyemo was able to deliver the self-determination struggle letter of exit to the British Prime Minister Sir Keir Stammer in his official residence at 10 Downing Street.
This is a remarkable step in the right direction for our self-determination struggle as we engage positively with friendly nations in the world. We need to mobilise as many leaders as possible around the world that would be sympathetic to the plight of our people in Nigeria to act to pressure the Nigerian government on our quest for self-determination.
With the dwindling economic fortunes of Nigeria, it is best that we get as much support possible, that we can receive around the world during this stage of our struggle. This will place us in a better position to achieve greatness within the shortest possible time as many countries will be open to doing business with our new independent Yoruba nation.
I urge our Yoruba people especially those at home in Yorubaland to see the UK rally as an opportunity to begin a wholesale campaign at home for our sovereign nation. We need to get our traditional rulers and those occupying political positions to understand that the wish of the majority of our people now is nothing other than a peaceful separation from Nigeria.
It will be better if the Nigerian government will do the right thing while there is still time. Failure to act now when there is still the opportunity for dialogue may later be regretted if Nigeria were to descend into chaos and anarchy. I hope and pray that we will not be dragged into that situation by circumstances that are beyond our control, especially with the ongoing militancy in the southeastern region of Nigeria.
