- Lost confidence in INEC
- Every key arm of government under Buhari in the hands of one ethnic group
- Ship of state was veering off precariously
- Nigeria is at the very edge of political subsidence
Having watched the degeneration in the country especially in the past few years, a Yoruba Summit Group (YSG) rose from a meeting on Thursday with a very serious warning to the federal government of Nigeria that it would be suicidal for Nigeria to continue to pretend that all is well and go into the 2023 general elections without restructuring Nigeria.
The summit, which is made up of leaders drawn from different spheres of life, on said there was an urgent need to restructure the country now, warning that any attempt to go ahead with elections in 2023 without addressing the issue would spell doom for Nigeria. The group made this declaration in a communiqué signed by Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo and issued at the end of its meeting in Lagos, just as it noted that the ship of state was veering off precariously into a precipice, as the country was at the very edge of political subsidence.
The meeting had in attendance leaders, including the Chief Ayo Fashoranti, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Professor Banji Akintoye, HRH Ọba Dipo Olaitan, Aare Iba Gani Adams, Dr Olufemi Adegoke, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, Chief (Mrs) Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele and Dr Ebun Sonaiya. Others include Chief Gboyega Adejumo, Mrs Tokunbo Ekukinam, Dr Akin Fapohunda, Mr. Femi Adefemiwa, Chief Aderemi Abdul, Chief Olufemi Kufo, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo- Dosunmu, Mr George Akinola, Dr Amos Akingba, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Mr Ademola Folarin, Professor Oye Ibidapo Obe, Mr Tunji Alapini, Chief Supo Shonibare and Basọ́run Segun Sanni.
Unanimously they stated that notwithstanding the interests of some elements in the region, it would be presumptuous to assume that the masses of the educated Yoruba Nation will dive headlong into being part of the 2023 elections, when all elements of its execution, including the military, paramilitary, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as the Judiciary have been rigged and appropriated by a single very tiny minority ethnic group in the country.
YSG further warned that the resolve of the Yorubas not to be part of a vassal state that Nigeria has become, was better managed with due accommodation before any further degeneration and obvious consequences as the race’s quest shall henceforth be to mobilise the masses of peoples not to participate in any further elections until the goal of restructuring or self-determination was attained.
The group further said, “The ship of state is veering off precariously into a precipice, and that Nigeria is at the very edge of political subsidence. We are persuaded that nothing short of restructuring can save this country. Any attempt to go ahead with elections in 2023 without addressing the issue of restructuring would spell doom for Nigeria.
“Notwithstanding the interests of some elements in our midst, it would be presumptuous to assume that the masses of the educated Yoruba Nation will dive headlong into being part of the 2023 elections, when all elements of its execution- the military, paramilitary, INEC, the judiciary have been rigged and appropriated by a single very tiny minority ethnic group in a small corner of the country.
“The emerging resolve of the Yorubas not to be part of the vassal state that Nigeria has become is better managed with due accommodation before any further degeneration and obvious consequences. Our quest shall henceforth be to mobilise the masses of our peoples not to participate in any further elections until the goal of Restructuring or Self-determination is attained,” the group said.
The Yoruba leaders, while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime to begin confidence-building ahead of the country’s historic 60th anniversary of its independence, urged for an urgent meeting of all nationalities to determine the nature of our relationships.
Again, the statement added, “The Yoruba Nation is, therefore, making the clarion call for confidence-building steps to taken by the Buhari regime immediately, especially as the historic 60th anniversary of Nigeria as an independent nation beckons on October 1, 2020. Steps towards an urgent meeting of all nationalities has to be taken now to determine the nature of our relationships,” the leaders said.
