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

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.