By Saliu Ajewole

A prominent star in the Yoruba self determination campaign, Mr Rotimi Yakubu Obadofin on Thursday became yet another victim of a vicious Nigerian system he fought all through his life. Mr Obadofin died at a hospital in Osogbo after or during a simple medical operation.
He has since been taken to his home town, Ayetoro Gbede in Kogi state.
The late Obadofin, a covert pioneer of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC was the first National Coordinator of the O’odua Liberation Movement, (OLM). He was also the pioneer Chairman of the Coalition of O’odua Self Determination Groups, (COSEG). He died in the twilight of Thursday after a brief illness that hunted him for close to seven days.
“He is the youngest and one of the most formidable pioneer of the Yoruba self determination campaign. He is the number one teacher. He is gifted with a rare sense of teaching, a deep knowledge of Yoruba and Hausa-Fulani history and a remarkable oratory power. He moves mountains in his campaigns for Yoruba Nation and the independence of his fatherland from the clutches of oppression”, Mr Gbenga Awosode, a lawyer, who chose not to refer to his comrade in the past tense and current National Coordinator of OLM told journalists today.
Mr Obadofin who hails from Ayetoro Gbede will be remembered for his life of restless agitation up to the point of desperation for the a Yoruba Republic, a dream he lounged for until his last breath. Throughout his more than two decade campaign for Oodua Republic, Obadofin visited almost all villages, towns and communities in Yorubaland, assisting in building cells and energising the people. He was a passionate advocate of Igbo-Yoruba and ethnic minority alliance in what he saw as an inevitable step to break the yoke of the Haussa-Fulani hegemony. Obadofin worked for Yoruba unity with several Niger-Delta and Igbo groups making him as a rare friend among other non-Yoruba ethnic groups in the Southern part of the country. He belonged to the trio of Marxists who chose Yoruba self determination as their last calling. Dr Baba Omojola, Comrade Ola Oni and Obadofin were socialists who saw Yoruba self determination as a component part of Marxist resolution of the ethnic, social and economic quagmire that stunted Nigeria’s growth since 1960. Obadofin established the UNited Self Determination Peoples Organiastion. He was also a Working Committee member of the then Youth Solidarity on Southern Africa, (YUSAN). He was one of the few comrades who worked closely with the former South African President, Thabo Mbeki when the later was in exile for close to one decade in Nigeria. He was aslo a close ally General Kassingo, the exiled Congolese cousin of the late patriot, Patrice Lumumba,
“He had no other dream, he had no other thoughts, he had no other thing on his mind than to see Oodua Republic. He worked hard for this dream. It was this dream that took him to the realm of partisan politics when he contested for the governorship of Kogi State under the banner of the All Progressives Congress, (APC). He felt he could use the position to further the course he laboured for all throughout his active years”, one of his aides, Ayokunle Alebisosu told our correspondent today.
Born a Muslim, Mr Obadofin was a Marxist who cut his shape at the then Kwara State Polytechnic where he read Engineering. But he never for one day practiced as an engineer. He was an iconic student union leader in the early 80s. After his graduation from teh Kwara Polytechnic, he joined the labour movement with the hope of building a Communist Nigeria only to be transformed 360 degree by the June 12 campaign during which the late MKO Abiola won the Presidential election but was denied by his closest Hausa-Fulani allies. Mr Obadofin believed in political education as one of the best weapon for arousing the people from their stupor. Most of the time he often express frustration about the naiveté of the Yoruba political class, their underestimation of the Fulani mien and hidden power of attrition, and their often expressed ignorance about the role of ethnic interests in the modern day power struggle among Nigeria’s dominant social and political formations.
Mr Obadofin spent most of his time as a covert agent in the self determination movement and never for once cared about publicity until in recent years when he joined the usually boisterous public life filled with active political activities. He had no social life, did not drink, did not smoke and never celebrated his or his children birthdays.