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Voice of Emancipation

Voice of Emancipation: Lessons from the Vatican

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By Kayode Emola

The Roman catholic church this week appointed its new leader, Bishop Robert Francis Prevost, who took on the title Pope Leo XIV. Before his ordination as a Pope, he wasn’t even the frontrunner; clearly, his humble beginning didn’t even make him think he would ever assume the highest position of the Catholic church.

It is not Pope Leo XIV’s election but the process that brought him into office that fascinates me. Many countries and peoples of the world are currently more conscious of democracy. However, the Vatican shows a good example of how democracy should work, and if the world can learn from the Vatican, perhaps it will be a better place for all.

We notice that before the election of the Pope, there were grand rules in place. No Bishop above the age of 80 years is allowed to stand for that position, nor is allowed to vote. Hence, of the 252 cardinals alive, only 133 were able to stand for the position or be able to vote. If only 133 people will decide the fate of over 1 billion people of the catholic faith and even beyond the faith, then perhaps we need to redefine democracy.

The second thing we notice was that the election process was done by people of understand the teachings of the Catholic church and who have had years of experience as Bishops. They are not mere novices who knew nothing about Christianity or the catholic church and were given the responsibility to choose the leader.

Also, when it was time for the election, all eligible cardinals were made to swear an oath of secrecy and made to hand in their electronic devices. This is to ensure there is no external interference with the process, and whoever was elected was the decision of the cardinals present.

At the end of the process, the new head of the Catholic church emerged with no controversy or the need for lengthy court cases. Even the ballot papers are burnt, never to be seen again, yet this has been a tradition spanning over eight centuries.

I am not a Roman catholic, but I believe the catholic church has perfected a conventional way of electing leaders without causing a controversy. It may not be the best and may have its own shortcomings, but it has proven to be efficient, cost-effective, and meets the needs of the catholic church with over 1.4 billion people across the world.

Imagine if we, in the name of democracy, ask every catholic member to participate in the voting process that will bring about the new Pope. This will be a lengthy process marred with corruption, bribery, politicking, and all the vices associated with an election. In the end, those who have spent lots of money and think they deserve the position will begin a smear campaign against any chosen leader.

This is why the Yoruba nation, in building its own democratic system, must not be quick to adopt the European or American version of democracy. In the past, it was the Oba (King) who was the head of government, not chosen by the people but by the gods through the chief priest.

The selection of Oba is from the ruling house or houses, and whoever emerges is taken through a rigorous process of initiation. Once the initiation is complete, the individual becomes King, and we notice here too that the people are not involved in the voting process, and there is no lengthy court case.

In today’s case, we see in Yorubaland that most of the Obas that are selected do not follow the ancient precepts that is laid down. Most of them are being selected by the politicians for their own political survival.

Therefore, there is a need to deliberately work out a way in the new Yoruba country so that the leader of the new nation will emerge. We may not follow the Roman catholic pattern where only the cardinals of a certain age are allowed to contest or vote. We may also not follow the ancient precept in which Yoruba Kings are being chosen, but it would be nice to follow a simple system that works for Yorubaland, devoid of lengthy court cases after a leader has been chosen.

We should also endeavour to come up with a process that is devoid of external interference, just as we see in many countries of the world today. We can see clearly that no form of communication with the outside world was permitted during the 48-hour period in which the new Pope was being elected. It ensures that external influences cannot predict the outcome of our internal elections for their own benefit.

If we can do this, then we will be a step closer to ensuring that Yorubaland is perpetually free from colonial or neocolonial influences. It will allow us to be unpredictable and help us to build a lasting system devoid of corrupt politicians who seek political office not for the good of the people but for what they can get for themselves.

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Voice of Emancipation

Voice of Emancipation: The Rise and Fall of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei

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By Kayode Emola

This week, I was going to respond to the supposed threat sent out by the Fulani foot soldiers for the supposed beginning of their Jihad against the indigenous people of Nigeria. However, with yesterday’s early morning strikes in Iran by the firepower of the USA and Israeli government, I believe we need to evaluate events far away from our Yoruba shores.

Ayatollah Khamenei took the reins of power as the supreme leader of Iran in 1989 when his mentor Ruhollah Khomeini died of heart attack. Following his emergence as the supreme leader, his number one goal was the destruction of the state of Israel and the United States. One which he did not hide both in the Arab world and in the Western circles with the constant threat of uranium enrichment.

This made him enemy number one for the Jewish State that was constantly under the fear of an Iranian nuclear annihilation. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it his lifelong ambition to ensure the decapitation of the Iranian regime by any means necessary. The Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023, gave the Israeli government perfect opportunity to not only go for the Hamas leadership, but to also confront all the Iranian proxies in the region.

If there’s anything to learn from the Israeli’s approach, it is the fact that since the October 2023 attack, they have not shied away from going after all their enemies. One after the other, the Israeli’s took out all the commanders of Hamas, Hezbollah and now the very top hierarchy of the Iranian regime.

The death of the Iran supreme leader will not only be a morale boost for the Israeli government. It will consolidate Israel’s dominance in the region for the foreseeable future. Thus, Israeli will hope to live in peace with its Arab neighbours for many years to come.

The death of Ayatollah Khamenei will not mean that the job is finished both for the Israeli government and its US ally. It can either be the journey to peace or the beginning of a long walk to an everlasting conflict with Iran if the regime is not finally taken out.

With the decapitation of the Iranian regime, I believe anyone stepping forward to replace the late Ayatollah will have a lot to do to keep Iran as one without further military strike from the US. Anything short of regime change will lead to more destruction and destabilisation of the region if not half of the entire world population.

The Yoruba nation struggle must now get our act together in taking a decisive decision about our exit from Nigeria. For some time now, we have been ruminating on how to proceed with our Yoruba nation struggle in the face of constant threat by the Fulani militia on innocent civilians and villagers in our towns and villages.

The time has come for us to be decisive in calling the bluff of the Nigerian government and show the world that we are ready for the emergence of our new nation. The Israeli saw a window of opportunity, and they did not waste time to take it. The result was a resounding victory against the oppressive regime that has ruled Iran for nearly five decades.

If we continue to dilly dally and think for once that the international powers will grant us our Yoruba nation on a platter of gold, then we are very mistaken. This period is not the 1950s nor is it the 1960s when African nations were ruthless in the pursuit of their independence from their colonial masters.

This era is a different kettle of fish as our colonial masters are now our own brothers and sisters who seek public office not for the benefit of the people but for their own enrichment. The time has come for every Yoruba person to be ready to defend their towns and villages in the event of a Fulani onslaught. We must seize the opportunity to affirm our right to self-determination and call on the nations of the world to recognise our sovereignty.

I beseech all my brethren to be watchful and vigilant for when the time comes for us to go all out for our victory march. We must not be cowed by fear, but rather, have the courage of our forbears who were never defeated by the Fulani military to take our country out of this crooked Nigeria.

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Voice of Emancipation

Voice of Emancipation: Yoruba Nation: The Long Road to Freedom

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By Kayode Emola

In 2018, the journey for Yoruba emancipation from Nigeria began in earnest, following several years of dilly-dallying. Afenifere, the foremost Yoruba group created by Bàbá Awolowo in conjunction with the self-determination advocates, decided that if the federal government of Buhari failed to enact the decision of the 2014 Jonathan Confab by March 2020, then the whole of Yoruba would declare for self-determination.

The Federal Government of Nigeria under Buhari didn’t flinch, instead it doubled down on its persecution of the Yoruba people through its various terrorist networks of jihadists hiding in our forests. March 2020 came and went, Afenifere did nothing, only buying time for the government of Nigeria and watching what those of us on the self-determination struggle will do.

The Yoruba course began to be derailed not by the Fulani but by the custodians of our Yoruba people through their indecisions. So, it became a fight of Self-determination vs Restructuring, when in fact, restructuring is a softer version of self-determination. Only that Nigeria in its current form can never be restructured due to the facts that I have explained in several articles and videos.

As Afenifere failed in standing up for the Yoruba people, several splinter groups have emerged with no clear focus on the Yoruba question of whether to remain in Nigeria or not. Some want a restructured Nigeria despite the jihadists’ conquest mission that gives no room for negotiation. Some wanted a Yoruba President, hoping and praying that at least he would fight on the Yoruba side. We can see how well a Yoruba President is securing the lives and properties of the Yoruba people.

However, those of us who have followed African history very carefully know that if we don’t get out of Nigeria quickly enough to build for ourselves a strong Yoruba nation, we run the risk of being recolonised again. We may say God forbid! But if the conference in Munich last week is anything to go by, and the utterances of the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is read carefully, we know that this is Berlin 1884 rebranded. We can see that the US is positioning itself for the recolonisation of Africa; it is our duty to prevent our land from being taken from us again.

I would not want this to alarm us, but to warn us that more still needs to be done in terms of our struggle for an autonomous Yoruba Nation free from any encumbrances. The journey may take however long that we decide to take on the establishment, what is certain is that if we don’t give up, we shall surely overcome.

It took the people of Israel 40 years to finally decide to take on the Canaanites, and when they did, Heaven was with them and they eventually overcame. I strongly believe that we have a narrow window of opportunity to take the Yoruba land out of Nigeria this year, and if we put ourselves together, we shall surely win.

Therefore, my fellow Yoruba comrades, the time is now to take on the jugular of Nigeria without any fear or intimidation. The decadence of Nigeria cannot withstand the united front of the Yoruba people if we put ourselves together to get the job done. I hope and pray that the Yoruba people dare to do what is necessary to be free. God be with us.

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Voice of Emancipation

Voice of Emancipation: Is President Tinubu Capable of Protecting Nigerians

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By Kayode Emola

Yet again, gunmen went into Woro Local Government of Kwara State to unalive over 170 innocent villagers on Tuesday 3rd February 2026 and the news is not trending in the global stage. These are not animals, these are not aliens but citizens of a “supposed country”, yet the government of the day has no answer to this heinous crime.

This is not the first time and won’t be the last time innocent people would be killed in Kwara State, but my pain is that no lessons would be learnt to prevent such recurrence. The hype about the arrival of the US intervention forces in Nigeria has not done anything to reduce these attacks. Rather the continuous sporadic killings look like Armageddon is beginning right before our very eyes.

Not long after the killings in Kwara State this week, similar killings were ongoing in Katsina State, Northwestern Nigeria. It then begs the question what the Federal Government of Nigeria is doing to protect the lives and properties of the innocent people in Nigeria.

It appears the crimes these innocent people have committed is being Nigerian citizens. This is because if over 100 animals were slaughtered in the US or any European countries, the law enforcement agency will be all over the place searching for the perpetrators of the crime. It would be a global headline that will seize the headlines for days until the perpetrators are brought to justice. If animals have rights in this world, why then can’t humans in Nigeria have right and dignity of life?

I fear for those who are pandering to the narrative that the government is trying its best when it comes to tackling insecurity in the country. The truth is that the tragedy has not befallen them yet, so it is still a distant imagination for them. My only prayer is that calamity do not befall them before they come to their senses.

For my Yoruba brothers and sisters, the time is past due to take a stand. We appear to be nonchalant despite the tragedy that is unravelling before our very eyes. We seem to be looking the other way while our houses are burning thinking the wind will blow the flames away.

My only prayer is that we don’t get consumed in the tragedies going on in Nigeria before we recognise what is going on. Nigeria has now become a crime scene, and no one is interested in solving the murder mysteries. We go on about our business as if nothing has happened only for the next tragedy to happen right in front of us. We need to either stand up and speak out now or we can buckle under the weight of the Fulani terrorists determined to overrun us, the choice is ours.

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