By Kayode Emola

For the many Yoruba who can’t discern right from wrong or left from right, it’s time to clearly separate facts from fiction. Before the 1999 introduction of democracy to Nigeria, it was hailed as the panacea for development, the ingredient that would take Nigeria to the next level. 25 years of democracy later, over half the population of Nigeria lives in abject poverty. It is therefore high time we talked about our continuing as Nigerians.

It is plainly evident that Nigeria as a nation is heading nowhere meaningful. Still, my greatest frustration lies with the millions of Yoruba who cannot or will not open their eyes and see that it is over for the country. Many of them believe that one day Nigeria will solve all its problems and become a great nation; yet at the same time, believing that it is better for them personally to travel abroad for pastures green.

This is nothing short of hypocrisy at the highest level in fact, I would go so far as to call it cowardice in the face of the oppression present. For those who believe that Nigeria will one day become great, yet still harbour the idea of travelling abroad; or are currently living outside of Nigeria and not returning to build the country, you of all people are the most miserable.

Today, the people living in Ondo State will go out to validate the failed system the military government handed over in 1999. What they will not see is that the exercise of voting is a mirage that makes no difference either to their personal wellbeing or the good of the nation. And yet still they will believe in the slogans that have been spun by politicians for the sole purpose of deceiving the unsuspecting.

As Yoruba, we ought to look inward, and ask ourselves if we are truly enjoying being part of Nigeria. If not, then we must face the question of why are we silent about the hardship our people face. To paraphrase a popular vlogger, the politicians know that the people must go to bed with hope. It seems that successive governments previously have sowed the seed of hope to keep the people going, even as they knew that Nigeria will not get better.

However, the government under President Tinubu has not only perpetuated the citizens’ poverty but has also stolen their hope. Perhaps Tinubu’s decision to liberalise the country is the push needed to energise the Yoruba people towards the actualisation of Orile-ede Yoruba. If not, if even this can’t jolt them out of their reverie, then I can’t see anything that could shake these poverty-stricken Yoruba people from their die-hard belief that Nigeria will one day be a great nation.

It is now very obvious that when our sovereignty is actualised, we Yoruba will need to guard it jealously from the political hawks who ruined Nigeria. We need to make sure they do not transfer their corrupt way of governing Nigeria into the Yoruba country.

Therefore, it is time to begin planning in earnest what that new country will look like. We need to engage stakeholders throughout various levels of society to discuss how our new nation will function. These includes, though is not limited to, our traditional leaders, civil societies, artisans, various professionals and the general public.

We must now put immense pressure on President Tinubu and the current government to convene a sovereign national conference, so that the question of Nigeria can be answered once and for all. This should not be a conference that gags its participants into agreeing that Nigeria is indivisible, but one that allows each participating ethnic nationality the opportunity to decide their own future.

With that said, we must be aware of the nonchalant attitude displayed by the Nigerian government regarding nations’ quest for sovereignty. The Igbo people have decided to exit Nigeria by declaring their Biafra nation on 2nd December 2024, and will damn the consequences. If this happens, the instability caused will make Nigeria’s remaining as a country entirely untenable, under which circumstances we Yoruba people must be ready and uncompromising for our own exit.

The most sensible path that the Nigerian government could take would be that of peaceful dissolution; but the way things are currently heading, I don’t see that happening. Therefore, if and when the inevitable happens to Nigeria, every Yoruba person, both at home and in the diaspora, must be ready to obey the clarion call.

In so doing, we will show the international community that the Yoruba have affirmatively decided that we no longer wish to be perpetual slaves to those holding us to ransom. This moment is pivotal, the point at which we decide our future once and for all. Let us choose the road to freedom, so that we may truly look forward to building a viable nation that champions the rights and needs of the many, not just the political few.

By Kayode Emola

In 2020, at the peak of the Yoruba struggle for self-government, Donald Trump was rounding up his time in office as President of the United States. It was widely believed that Donald Trump would help us achieve our sovereign nation. Four years later, we are still nowhere near the end of our struggle. The only difference is that this time, we are better equipped with the tools needed to liberate our people.

The truth is that it doesn’t matter who sits at the white house, the will of the Yoruba people to get out of Nigeria must be stronger than the forces that are holding us down. That I believe is the ingredient we haven’t added to our struggle. To get that part right, we must actively engage our people back home on the need to sever ties with Nigeria.

This is no fault of the people back home but as leaders of the self-determination struggle, we must acknowledge that it is not a self-determination vs Nigeria struggle. It is a Yoruba vs Nigeria struggle and it doesn’t matter where people stand we should be ready to emphasise that our objective is independence for the Yoruba nation.

Personally, I don’t think Trump’s presidency will either work in our favour or against our collective goal of Yoruba independence. The determination to leave Nigeria needs to be vigorously ignited among our people worldwide such that it reverberates in several capitals around the world. This will send a strong signal to the world that the Yoruba people and indeed Africans are ready to liberate themselves.

When Chairman Mao sought liberation for his people in China, he made it a doctrine that everyone must believe in the dream. As a matter of fact, you are made to profess it openly and carry the little red book even if you don’t wholeheartedly agree with it. Today, China is the better for it as successive governments in China over time have been able to lift over 700 million of their population out of poverty, catapulting China into one of the greatest nations if not the greatest nation in the world.

If we truly desire a prosperous Yoruba nation, we must imitate success stories like that of China and similar countries who have liberated themselves fully from colonial shackles. China is being demonised by America and many Western European countries today because they didn’t see the rise of China coming.

For them, every other country must be beneath them, and for China to dictate the terms of the global trade is a blow too big to handle. This is why we as leaders of the self-determination struggle must not for one second think that our liberation is coming when America says it will happen. We must realise that the onus is on us to mobilise our people to be ready for total liberation both from Nigeria and the neo-colonial powers that are tying us down.

Our Yoruba people must realise that for any one day we spend in Nigeria, it is another day wasted in achieving our God given potentials. We must completely dissolve the idea that Nigeria is going to one day be a great nation and begin to embrace our Yoruba identity to the fullest.

Yoruba is unique in so many ways that our culture and traditions are well known and respected throughout the world. This gives us the advantage of developing ideas that will attract the world to what we do

The time has come for us to be emphatic about our desire to leave Nigeria. We need to impress it on our people, our traditional leaders, and even the politicians such that they will become the advocates of our message. This will enable us quickly to achieve our desired goal of total liberation from the bondage we find ourselves.

By Kayode Emola

She was the last person to enter the race to replace Rishi Sunak as the Conservative & Unionist Party leader in the UK, but alas she was the last person standing. As she takes on her new role as His Majesty loyal opposition leader, eyes will be on this young Yoruba girl who grew up on the streets of Lagos and what she has to offer.

A little over 100 years ago, it would have been unimaginable that a woman could even be allowed to vote let alone lead any major political party in the UK. However, today, a woman of Yoruba heritage is not only leading one of the oldest political parties in the UK but His Mmajesty’s opposition party.

While many Yoruba may be quick to congratulate Kemi, I believe it is time that those around her educate her on the dangers her Yoruba homeland is facing. Since colonialisation, Yorubaland has never remained the same in all aspects of developmental growth. We have fared even far worse since independence in 1960 and the return to democracy in 1999 than any living memory.

The story of our people in Yorubaland is nothing to write home about as the Nigerian economy continues to suffer from hyperinflation. Whilst Kemi’s role as an opposition leader may not give her the needed power to do whatever she wants; it is time for her to recognise that she is now in a strong position of influence. That influence must be used to advance the cause of Britain and her native Yoruba homeland.

As His Majesty’s loyal opposition leader, I will implore her to use her position to fight the injustices suffered by many ethnic minorities across Britain and around the world. She is in a strong position like the Biblical Esther who used her position in Babylon to influence the King for her people.

Kemi must recognise that any river that forgets its source will eventually dry up one day. The Yoruba heritage has a way of replenishing knowledge to those that seek it diligently and I will implore Kemi not to shy away from her roots.

The focus now for the opposition leader is to rebuild the conservative party to wrestle power from the Labour Party in 2029 or earlier if luck were to run out for Sir Keir Starmer.

Kemi has shown herself to be a talented young woman who is able to break any glass ceiling and I pray by God’s grace that she will succeed in her new role and surpass expectations. She must never be complacent with this new found love she has earned from the conservative party. She must repay that trust with loyalty and hard work and the least we can do as her fellow Yoruba people or admirer is to pray for her to succeed.

I know Kemi has not been vocal regarding the emancipation of her Yoruba people from the shackles of Nigeria. She must realise that just like Mordecai told Esther to do something to raise an alarm about the existential threat of the Jews, Kemi must be ready to raise an alarm about the existential threat the Yoruba people face in Nigeria.

Nigeria since independence, has slowly degenerated into a failed state and those who wield power in the country are not sincere with the people. In as much as the country has failed to sit down on a round table since 1960 to discuss what future it wants; it is high time the country is divided in peace so that every ethnic nationality can go their way to develop their land as they see fit.

Every Yoruba person at home and abroad must realise that there is only one task ahead of us and it is the task of total liberation. Anything short of this is a complete waste of time and beating about the bush. We need to take the bull by the horn and free our Yoruba nation from the bondage it currently finds itself.

I hope and pray that Kemi who is not just a leader in Yorubaland but in Britain where all our problems originated will be a champion of her people. I hope her time in Westminster will bring about positive change to the lives of those that she represents both here in the UK and in her native Yoruba land.