We all welcome the persistent appeal by Femi Aribisala and some other well-meaning Yoruba for meaningful understanding and co-operation between the Yoruba and Ndi-Igbo. They insist and we agree that it is such relationship that can put this country on the path of redemption. To put it bluntly, without Yoruba/Igbo cooperation this country cannot stand.

But the problem is really with the Yoruba NOT Ndi-Igbo who from the beginning had stood out to uphold the Lugardian creation called Nigeria even if created on wrong and weak foundation. We do not need to overstretch this point; the nationalist struggle by Nnamdi Azikiwe and the Zikists in the 1930s to independence in 1960 is familiar with all for us; equally the obstacle by Awolowo (Yoruba) Sir Ahmadu Bello (Fulani) to the evolution of this country as a nation are well known . In this triangular relationship it has been the Yoruba who held the ace between the struggles for a United Nigeria espoused by Ndi-Igbo on the one hand the opposition against the achievement of that goal by the Fulani on the other. Whether by design or by accident the stand of Yoruba in this struggle has consistently impinged on the political development of this country. This is not meant to be an indictment of the Yoruba but a call for them to appreciate their key role in the development of this country, without which the country will inevitably and ultimately disintegrate. There is no doubt about it.
Maybe it is appropriate to explain further. The Yoruba’s intrigues and alliances with the Fulani have been the problem of Nigeria. We can go a little back into history to explain:

1. In the nineteenth (19th) century it was the revolt of the Are Ona Kakanfo (Generalissmo) Afonja, with the help of Fulani immigrant and Islamic Scholar, Salihu Janta(aka Alimi) that wrenched off Ilorin from the Yoruba Characteristically the treacherous Alimi assassinated Afonja in 1824 and installed his (Alimi’s) son Abdusalami as the Emir of Ilorin. By 1895 the Yoruba felt that they had had enough and revolted burning the Emirs Palace while assassinating him; but the harm has been done, the British Colonial Administration had taken over and reinstated the Fulani Colonization of Ilorin.

2. At the eve of Independence another Are Ona Kankanfo in the person of Chief S.L Akintola betrayed the Yoruba people in collaboration with Fulani Sokoto Caliphate. That betrayal brought about the colonization of the West by the Fulani and the Civil war.

3. In spite of himself, Chief Awolowo collaborated with the Fulani ostensibly to fight Ndi-Igbo. The bait was the control of the finances of the country, while the Fulani schemed to and truly consolidated their conquest of the Yoruba.

4. M.K.O. Abiola, another Are Ona Kakanfo behaved true to type and paid appropriate price. The Fulani collaborators who encouraged him even to attempt the demystification of Awolowo at a convenient time just removed him from the scene, and dug deeper in their grip on the West.

5. The current Yoruba generalissimo Alhaji Bola Tinubu the other day was boasting that he literally plucked out Buhari from retirement to use him remove President Jonathan. I believe that if he has been sober enough to seriously appraise Buhari’s administration so far he would have discovered that he has in fact sold Yoruba like his counterparts of old. The Fulani have continued to consolidate their conquest of the West. They now control the seaport, and the jetties, appropriate 80% of oil wells in the south, are building gigantic industries in Lagos and other parts of the West, ousted the Yoruba from Banks and insurance establishments, etc. Tinubu gloats over the fact that he controls some “key ministries” but this is an illusion. Meanwhile Buhari’s Fulani have seized the entire security outfits in the country including the Police, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Immigration, Military Intelligence, EFCC, etc. How many Yoruba are in the reckoning?
The truth is that with Tinubu’s behavior as Are Ona Kakanfo the conquest of the West by the Fulani has been completed and Sir. Ahmadu Bello’s boasting of dipping the Koran in the sea will appear to have been accomplished from the Western end of Nigeria.

The only problem in the Fulani’s quest for the total conquest of Nigeria is thwarted in the Eastern flank of the country. They have made several attempts in the past and have continued to do so, but they cannot succeed. Yes the cost of the resistance has been high but the Easterners cannot accept to be enslaved and Islamized. The only option open to this country and acceptable to the East is restructuring of the country with attendant devolution of powers as recommended by the 2014 National Conference. The Fulani do not want this implemented because their eyes are set on conquest. The Yoruba agree with the East and the rest of the country (other than the Fulani) that restructuring is the only solution to the country’s problem. But they need to be aggressive about it. If today the Yoruba throw in the weight forcefully behind this national desire, the reform will come up tomorrow. The ball is therefore in the court of the Yoruba. They should escape from Afonja/Akintola/Abiola/Tinubu… syndrome and join hands with the East to redeem the country.

Maybe we can remind them of the slogan they popularized in the 1960s: YORUBA RONU."