The Yoruba Nation, the existential crisis of her Constitutional Monarchy coinciding with imperial Europe’s confrontation with Africa, leading to millions of Yoruba carried into captivity through the Trans Atlantic Slave Trad; Yorubaland, subsequently ending up as a colony of Britain.

The Nigerian Colonial State, the administration of the amalgamated colonies, giving birth to the Post-Colonial State, the consummation of the negation of the Peoples of the colonies by the European colonial powers.

This Europe, a product of the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire via its peace of Westphalia, bringing forth its “Nation”-State; the “Nation”, largely Mono-Lingual/Ethnic and Mono-Cultural in their various stages of existence; its “State”, its form of administration, necessarily Centralized by this historical experience.

Despite which the Swiss, unaccustomed to Centralized administration, rejected the imposition of a Centralized State by foreign, albeit European, forces.

Ending up re-establishing their Autonomy and subsequently the Swiss Confederation as their form of State.

This Europe, grafting its mono-cultural reality onto Africa’s multi-cultural entities, denying the Multi-Lingual, Multi-Ethnic reality of its African “possessions”, driven by the Centralized State.

Either in its Parliamentary or Presidential forms.

In Nigeria, manifesting, first, in the immediate post-independence period, with its Centralized Parliamentary System, bent on neutralizing the Western Region and her political praxis, founded on the necessity for a Nigerian Post-Colonial State, anchored on the recognition of its Multi-Cultural and Multi-Lingual reality.

Promptly followed by the military-induced Presidential System sprinting towards permanent destruction of Nigeria’s Multi-National nature.

This military, whose foundation was in the Hausa Constabulary Force, transitioning into a West African Volunteer Force and ultimately the Nigerian Armed Forces, functioning as a colonial stabilizing force, trained to subjugate the “natives,” suppress the people and consider them a conquered specie.

Having no universal vision of its own.

Centralization, the colonial imperative, becoming its raison d’etre.

Hence incapable of being transformed into an anti-colonial force, without abolishing its original intent.

As experienced by the descent into the Nigeria-Biafra war engendered by attempts at getting the military perform roles it was not historically capable of.

Becoming a creation borne out of the “soul”, the essence of the society; coming only from “within” the ethos of the Nation/People/Nationality; possible only via their Autonomy.

By which we know that the quest for central power is nothing more than reinforcing the Centralized state structure.

Mandating its opposite, de-Centralization, a Confederation, the Multi-National State.

As shown by the Swiss example; with a similar historical experience as ours.

The Multi-National State, the Confederation, demonized by perpetual centralizers, utilizing all sorts of subterfuge in pursuit of their aims.

The story of the Nigerian Post-Colonial State.

Confronted with its reality as a “mere geographical expression”, clearly expressed by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, leading the Western Region into her glory.

Setting the stage for the “Golden Era” of well-known and well-recorded accomplishments of Western Regional Administration; in modern times, the only piece of evidence for the capacity and capability of the Yoruba Nation to exist in, and for itself.

Continuously neutralized by various military and civilian administrations of the Post-Colonial State, as its core mission.

It is written:

“The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’ ” Ezekiel 37: 1-14

The “whole house of Israel”; the Yoruba Nation; the “dry bones”, “cut off” from our “Golden Era”; our “lost hope”, by virtue of relentless centralization of the Post-Colonial State.

Once thought achievable through “amalgamation”; anchored on the dominance of a Hegemony but resulting in a continuous crisis of State and economic underdevelopment, despite mechanistic application of the colonizer’s economic philosophy and reliance on its financial institutions.

Reinforced by the Post-Colonial Grundnorm, superimposed over the Peoples’ moral values and codes, with the military substituting itself for “We, the People”.

Leading to the twisting and manipulation of the laws and attendant legalisms deriving from the Grundnorm with the net effect of corrupting the Peoples’ entire social existence.

Keeping the Peoples of Nigeria in perpetual cultural, lingual, and economic bondage.

By which we know that the De-Centralization of the Post-Colonial State is a sine qua non for our “dry bones” to come to life.

Countering of the “Nation-State” paradigm as a historical necessity; the resolution of unfinished imperial business.

Bringing forth the Nigerian Multi-National State as a “ Federal Nigeria, through a Federal Constitution, to be known as The Union of Nigerian Constituent Nationalities, with a Federal Presidential Council, whose members will be selected or elected from each of the Nationalities as Federating Units and from whom a Head of State will be selected or elected as the primus-inter-pares with an agreed term”.

Achieved by picking up the gauntlet thrown by the Muhammadu Buhari Regime, the custodian of Fulani Hegemony, whose tenure serves as its last stand.

For any successor Regime, of necessity, must purge the Centralized State Apparatus, in the process, reinforcing Hegemonic contest for power; always within the context of political rivalry between the East and the West, arbitrated by the Hegemony of the North.

Mandating a review.

Rendering moot, Hegemonic contests for centralized power.

It is written:

Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together. Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.” For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands”. Nehemiah 6:1-9

This last stand, an attempt at “trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”

But I say:
“With God, all things are possible”; for God will strengthen our hands in establishing the Multi-National State.

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

Wale Odeku