The people of South West Nigeria will exit Nigeria if there is military intervention, the Yoruba Assembly, a coalition of several civil society and self determination groups said on Tuesday at a summit that drew close to1000 representatives from across the region.
The delegates said insecurity is a threat that may tear the country apart and prevent a peaceful election in 2027. They urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invoke Executive Order that would within weeks order States to recruit their own police to fight insurgency and terrorism instead of waiting a whole 60 months for state police as recommended by the Inspector General of Police, IG, Tunde Disu.
The Coalition made several demands at the summit tagged; “Good Governance and the Crisis of Nationhood”, which held in Lagos. Participants dissected the state of nation warning that any attempt at toppling democracy will be met with Yoruba exit from Nigeria.
The coalition also reviewed the insecurity in the country warning that the delay in establishing state police is dangerous. The group said 60 months was too long for the creation of state police given the urgent intervention needed to stem the tide of violence and terrorism.
The Guest Speaker, Prof Lai Olorode called on Yoruba people to create a dynamic shift in their attitude to politics lamenting that most Yoruba people usually register but fail to come out on voting day.
In the communique issued after the summit, the Yoruba Assembly warned against any Military Intervention in Nigeria saying such a move is certain to throw Nigeria into turmoil. The gathering which brought together close to 1,000 delegates drawn from the South West states including Kogi, Kwara. Delegates also came from Delta and Edo States.
“We admit the challenges of democracy. Today there are problems of insecurity, hunger, deprivation and economic downturn. These are historical challenges arising from years of misrule, totalitarianism, corruption and moral decline of which 27 years of military rule contribute mainly to the afflictions of today. Military rule will never rule Yoruba again.
“Any attempt to overthrown the current democratic experience will have terrible consequences for Nigeria. For us in Yorubaland, we shall exit the country instead of having military rule”, the communique issued at the end of the summit signed by its leader, Hon Wale Osun stated.
Osun appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make sure the State Police is accepted by all Governors and implemented, so as to bring an end to the spate of insecurity in the country.
“We are surprised that the successor of former IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Tunde Disu is proposing an implementation process that may ultimately frustrate the prospect of the full implementation of State Police, and all these to mind is consistent with the position of successive Inspector of Generals of Police who in August 2012 had visited then President Jonathan and rallied against sub national policing”.
The former House of Representatives Member however categorically stated that any attempt to subvert the constitutional doctrines and processes shall be resisted by the people of the South West. Olurode said the Yoruba heritage is grounded in liberty, respect for dissent, tolerance of opposition, justice and equity. He said the political economy of any society should reflecf the agelong cultural norms.
Leaders of civil societies and self determination groups that attended the summit included Alahaji Wasiu Afolabi, Rasaq Arogundade, Prof Femi Obayori, Chief Kunle Osshodi, Comrade Razaq Olokooba, Prof. Femi Obayori; Alh. Taofik Adeyemi among other Yoruba Leaders.
Others groups that attended the summit were Oodua Peoples Congress, [OPC-Faseun], Odua Peoples Congress, [OPC-New Era], Odua Nationalist Coalition, [ONAC], Yoruba Council of Elders, (YCE), Agbekoya, Odua Youth Movement, [OYM], among many others.
“We call for immediate implementation of the process leading to State Police. The 60-month proposal is an illusion. It undermines the urgency and woefully fails to appreciate the perilous security situation in Nigeria.
“The security cobwebs should urgently be unlocked. Nigeria needs state policing. The President should invoke Executive Order that empowers Mobile Police Unit to be transferred to their states of origin.
“Nigeria is in dire security situation that demands a bold and decisive step. State Police is a public policy. It is not for the police alone. The input from the people, civil society, academic community, traditional rulers and state governors is essential for a publicly with far reaching implication for peace, prosperity and stability of the country”, the Communique stated.
Prof. Olurode further urged the people of the South West to exercise their franchise as the 2027 Election draws closer, stressing that in past elections, there is always voter apathy, unlike in the North West, North East, and North Central geopolitical zones, where voters come out enmasse to vote for the Candidates of their choice.
He however call for unity among the people of the South West, and the need for continuous demand for State Police, until the FG heed to the call.
