Unless we want to deceive ourselves or we genuinely fail to see reality then we must accept that the voters that went to the polls last week to decide who should be governors did not only elect their governors. They also used their thumbprint and ballot papers to draw a map that clearly states that the time has come to form a Yoruba nation. Those voters expressed their wishes in a legal and sophisticated manner, so their leaders too, if worthy of leading such people, must execute the expressed wishes in a legal and sophisticated way and therein lies the challenge. They need to, within the respect of the laws and within the borders of a federal Nigeria, form a Yoruba nation that I recommend should be cosmopolitan and progressive.

For those who wonder what is a nation? Let us reply with Renan and explain that a nation is a soul, a spiritual principle. Two things, which in truth are but one constitutes this soul or spiritual principle. One lies in the past, one in the present. One is the possession in common of a rich legacy of memories; the other is present-day consent, the desire to live together, the will to perpetuate the value of the heritage that one has received in an undivided form. A nation's existence is a daily plebiscite.

It is not the first time that the people in the various states that make up the Yoruba region (the official term they use in Nigeria is insipidly South-West) will express their desire by voting in unison. They did it by voting the Action Group (AG), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and now the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Let us make no mistake about it. The common thread in this voting pattern has being and continue to be progressive ideas and programmes according to the preaching and practice of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Like their parents did in the days of the late Awo, today's voters have chosen to find their path independent of the central government of Nigeria.

The political aspiration of the voters of the Yoruba region is to have a state that provides free education, free health care, massive infrastructural development, and an environment that allows trade and industry to flourish all in a vibrant intellectual milieu yet capable of partying. They are after all the masters of owanbe. These aspirations should form the paradigm upon which the elected governors and legislators of the Yoruba regions should build their policies and programmes. They should aspire to these ideals when thinking of the ideal government for their voters.

In theory, each of the states in the Yoruba region can legitimately set about achieving these aims individually and they might even do well. But imagine how much more they will achieve if they decide to act as a collective. Imagine the possibilities for all, if these governors and lawmakers can think like their voters and genuinely follow those ideals, if they can develop an organic ethos of a nation and consequently decide to work together to tackle the problems they cannot handle alone. Imagine what we will get if the states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, and even Ondo come together, without waiting for the Federal Government, to jointly plan, fund and supervise regional libraries, roads, hospitals, banks, research centres and agricultural projects. Even the power supply problem can have a regional solution.

The great benefits that such actions will bring to those that reside in these states are obvious but it will not be limited to them. As history has shown, like in the case of the Eastern Region of Michael Okpara and the Western Region of Obafemi Awolowo, there are good chances that a cooperative and dynamic Yoruba nation will trigger a healthy rivalry between her and other Nigerian regions. It will be a rivalry that will greatly benefit the residents of those other regions as their own leaders will have to provide similar services and ventures to match what their neighbours are doing. The federal republic of Nigeria itself will get the opportunity to become truly federal as emphasis will shift from the central and if broadminded the FGN will encourage these regional governments and ventures.

Politically, leaders and voters of the ACN will in the next four years have the duty of making sure that their elected officials turn their progressive aspirations into achievements. In that period, they will have to deal with problems of personal ego, self-serving groups and personalities, bureaucratic hurdles and outright sabotage. If they can overcome all that and maybe much more, their next task will be to decide how to move forward.

They will have to decide how they want to use the capital they now have. Two options come to mind: they can move forward by identifying and working with political groups that share their policies and ideals or they can try to be a Nigerian party by trying to make inroads into other parts of the federation.

http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnews/50976/1/it-is-time-to-form-a-yoruba-nation-.html

Gooood
"w-idddddance!
Please take 'your' section of NL witcha!

Great post.

I concur with all that has been suggested with the exception of ACN becoming a national party. We Yorubas predominantly voted for them and we want them to look after our interest and concentrate on doing just that. We should focus on our region without agitating fo secession either bein that we are peace loving people. Of course we would welcome foreigners into our fold but our priority would be looking after number 1 first. We are pacesetters and so should systematically distinguish ourselves from the idea of Nigeria. We have yet untapped crude oil, gas, cocoa to name but a few and capped with fantastic administrative qualities. We have a people who are proud of their heritage and Identity. All these would work in our favour. Revenue from export of crude oil, gas, cocoa and our strength in banking is unrivaled in Africa. Tourism will boom also as Yorubaland is a spiritual land we can sell to the west. Our brothers from Benin, sierra leon, cuba, brasil etc can now pilgrimage to their roots and have a sense of belonging.

What pleases me more is the unity that we continue to promote within ourselves in this foreign land called Nigeria. We are indeed strong and focused. Can we do it? YES WE CAN!

Yoruba Should Never Forget To Take Their Brothers And Sisters Along With Them I Mean Hausa/Fulani To Their New Nation Please I Beg

Of course we wish for our own nation, but let's not agitate for it. Let's leave others who believe they have now found a new ride in the SS to do that for us. We are too clever and to important to lose our brightest bulbs in a senseless war. Let's use them as body bags. When all is done, they can go their way with major collateral damage while we continue on our quest to better our nation and its people. We have all the resources we need.

Desola:

Of course we wish for our own nation, but let's not agitate for it. Let's leave others who believe they have now found a new ride in the SS to do that for us. We are too clever and to important to lose our brightest bulbs in a senseless war. Let's use them as body bags. When all is done, they can go their way with major collateral damage while we continue on our quest to better our nation and its people. We have all the resources we need.

The wish of a grand coward!

@Obiagu,

You call it cowardice, and I call it intelligence!

Tell me, the last time your ilk showed grand stupidity(which you lot called bravery), what happened again? Yeah, I know - YOUR PEOPLE WERE 'SHISH KEBABED', that's what! And what was the price for your 'ebubedikedness'? Your asses were royally whipped and you were told to put up or SHUT UP!!

Fifty years later, where are you? Holding on to a glimmer of hope with the help of your MESSIAH - the very mixed SS.
Relegated from being number 3 to number 4.

@ Desola

You expect the SS to fight for you, if they fail to fight, then you and your people will remain in Nigeria and perish with it whereas you have the desire to secede. Shame!

I repeat, you're a grand coward. Not surprise, it runs in your genes.

You can give any excuse you want to give, spin as much as you want, it will not still hide the fact. Sorry.

@Obiagu,

Yorubas have blue blood. Our blood is sacred. Let the peasants be the sacrificial lambs!

How many times have you seen prince William at the front line in a battle despite being a member of the armed forces?

Chew on that for a bit.

Obiagu1:

@ Desola

You expect the SS to fight for you, if they fail to fight, then you and your people will remain in Nigeria and perish with it whereas you have the desire to secede. Shame!

I repeat, you're a grand coward. Not surprise, it runs in your genes.

You can give any excuse you want to give, spin as much as you want, it will not still hide the fact. Sorry.

Ibo mans way of reasoning. To you sacrifizing 2 million plus people in an ego based war is Bravery hum? Now i see why ibos brains can processed any other words except "SPARE PARTS"

lmao!

lol!!!

NL is becoming a pathetic place.

Tribalististic trolls have ravaged the politics section.

LMAO!

Yorubas are out of power and now they want their own nation.  

Great post!

I see nothing tribalistic in the original post though I cannot say the same for the other posters.

" In this foreign land called Nigeria"

Super. Let's hope our leaders do not fail us. Long live Yorubaland!!
Long live Nigeria too sha.

There is already a Yoruba nation. Only the politically blind will fail to see it. We do not need to rush up a new currency, or break away from Nigeria to claim a Yoruba nation. We are one and the most united in Nigeria. We all have Awo to thank for this. In those days they called it being in the opposition, now it is dawning on folks that the FEDERAL wont work. Soon the people of Kwara and Kogi states will start singing ' A N RE WEST' (we're going west to join our brothers). It is simple mathematics.
Yorubas have been trained over the years to always do things right and do it in a diplomatic way. Our elders are the best in the following schools of thought: LAYIPO (SWIFT UTURN, others call it betrayal, I call it grand masterstroke), OYO MESI (Oyo knows the reply, but wont talk), FORO SIKUN( swallow the words, perhaps in hot times and come back to say it when it will matter). Ribadu learn of the LAYIPO part, Nigerian government will learn the rest. Mark this down everybody, the new ACN government is not just play play in the SW. It is liberation time and they want to move SW faster than Nigeria. While Nigeria is taddy in giving free education to all, SW has been doing for ages. Free health? come to Ibadan (UCH) next month, Water? go to Oshogbo, Welcome to Yoruba Nation.

ola_pluto:

There is already a Yoruba nation. Only the politically blind will fail to see it. We do not need to rush up a new currency, or break away from Nigeria to claim a Yoruba nation. We are one and the most united in Nigeria. We all have Awo to thank for this. In those days they called it being in the opposition, now it is dawning on folks that the FEDERAL wont work. Soon the people of Kwara and Kogi states will start singing ' A N RE WEST' (we're going west to join our brothers). It is simple mathematics.
Yorubas have been trained over the years to always do things right and do it in a diplomatic way. Our elders are the best in the following schools of thought: LAYIPO (SWIFT UTURN, others call it betrayal, I call it grand masterstroke), OYO MESI (Oyo knows the reply, but wont talk), FORO SIKUN( swallow the words, perhaps in hot times and come back to say it when it will matter). Ribadu learn of the LAYIPO part, Nigerian government will learn the rest. Mark this down everybody, the new ACN government is not just play play in the SW. It is liberation time and they want to move SW faster than Nigeria. While Nigeria is taddy in giving free education to all, SW has been doing for ages. Free health? come to Ibadan (UCH) next month, Water? go to Oshogbo, Welcome to Yoruba Nation.

Odua a gbe o. A juse fun e. Kaaro o jire bi.

Revomind,

Jo-jo, di opinion e mu! Any discerning Yoruba person would know that claiming Nigeria as a country is a FARCE! You are conjoined with people whom language or culture you do not understand and yet you say you are one and the same. Which mama born una?

haha, I like this Desola. Omo ilu wo ni e?

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Lmao! Yorubas don scatta scatta

Na all talk jare, just promise their yeye leaders vice senate president and they will all pipe down.

seanet02:

Sir were kilon se e?

Wentin be your problem? All I am saying is that ashewo must get paid after opening Yoruba legs.

Yoruba nation is an oxymoron,lol.

Chyz*:

Yoruba nation is an oxymoron,lol.

Baba nlaku baba e!!

SO MUCH FOR SOUTHERN NIGERIA!!!