June 7, 1998: Sanni Abacha died.

August 7, 199: Yoruba leaders met at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan, to chart the way forward for the Yoruba because of the impending withdrawal of the military from governance.

Combined, becoming the turning point for the Yoruba Nation; which, despite holding the Nigerian Post-Colonial State by the jugular, retreated without a strategy of further engagement, a sort of disorganized retreat from a position of strength; leaving the political space open for the continuity of the Post-Colonial State, as is.

Justifying this hasty withdrawal with the need to deny political space to avowed "domestic" and "external" enemies of the Yoruba Nation; hoping to advance the quest for True Federalism as a political necessity.

Now reduced to playing the game as decreed by the Post-Colonial State, forced to establish or re-establish dominance of the Yoruba political space; in the process embarking on different types of alliances; the necessity for True Federalism becoming a ball tossed to and fro, with no discernible end.

Leaving room for a false comparison with Afonja.

It is written:

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!” Isaiah 31:1

But Afonja did not “go down to Egypt for help”.

Foreign interlopers in Yorubaland, finding refuge in Afonja’s territory, pressed into his service, ended up overthrowing him and establishing their own rule.

Colonel Victor Banjo in a similar situation, leading Biafran troops to “liberate” Lagos and the West from the iron grip of the North; with orders compelling him to obtain directives from Enugu on any matter concerning Lagos.

The Afonja experience bringing him back to reality.

In 2015, Yorubaland went “down to Egypt for help”.

Muhammadu Buhari, pretending to some form of incorruptibility and honesty; reducing corruption to only a matter of embezzling public funds, sucking the Yoruba into his web.

Succeeding only because the political philosophy guiding the Yoruba at the time was faulty, repeating the error of August 7, 1998.
Now ending in great disappointment and outright disillusionment; not a function of the badness of a Muhammadu Buhari, but a failure to properly contextualize the struggle in 1998 and 2015; thereby unable to create the political and programmatic space necessary for Yoruba Autonomy.

Not looking “to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD”.

Doing justice to the issue at hand demands full reproduction of the Word of the Lord, not a summary.

It is written:

“Now three years passed without war between Syria and Israel. Then it came to pass, in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel. And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” So, he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” Also, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire for the word of the LORD today.”
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain?” So, they said, “Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?”
So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”
And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”
Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah the son of Imlah quickly!”
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’ ” And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”
And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak.” Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?”
And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!”
So, the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’”
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’
So, one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’
Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.”
Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?”
And Micaiah said, “Indeed, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!”
So the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace.” ’ ”
But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”
So, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” So, the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”
So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel!”
Therefore, they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. And it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So, he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”
The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot.
Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!” So, the king died and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.
Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken. 1 Kings 22: 1-37


That which I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.

Wale Odeku

I still don't think Victor Banjo would have succeeded in liberating Lagos because we had too many northern soldiers at Dodan barracks around that time. We had most of the best marksmen around Lagos to protect the seat of power.