This Letter is aimed at preventing the various Nationalities from being continuously submerged under an overarching narrative that shunts aside the recognition of the Nationalities as Federating Units through whom the Re-Federalization of Nigeria should proceed as the first and most important step in Nigeria’s rebirth.
Therefore, this Letter to the Church and Christians in Yorubaland and by extension, Nigeria is on the necessity for their direct involvement in their Nationality issues. The Letter to Muslims will follow shortly.
We proceed as follows:


(A) The importance of the National Question as fundamental to Nigeria was reinforced by the reaction of a Northern Christian, Babachir Lawal, to Asiwaju Tinubu’s remarks, in Yoruba Language, during his visit to Abeokuta. For Babachir Lawal, the issue was not so much the content of the remarks, but simply on the fact that it was made in Yoruba Language in the presence of Northerners which, according to him, is one reason it will be difficult to support the Yoruba. When Asiwaju Tinubu became the APC Presidential candidate, Babachir Lawal was also the first Northern Christian to decry marginalization of Christians in the North.

(B) Both instances were indicative of the Ethno-National and religious reality in the North where the “minorities” draw back from their self-identities in the presence of the Hausa-Fulani political overlords. It also intensified the narrative on religious pairing as the panacea to Nigerian political power contestation.

(C) Yet, since 1999, (and without disregarding the pre-1999 military and civilian era) Nigeria has been governed by such pairings, including the present administration, with no discernible impact on resolving the contradictions between the Nigerian State and the Nationalities. Rather than abate, it grew worse with each succeeding administration.

(D) A solution therefore demands going beyond the pairings. We are concentrating only on the APC Candidate because it is the only Party that has made official efforts at Restructuring/Re-Federalization. Without going into previous experiences, the current situation has shown that the PDP Candidate spoke plainly about his Fulani Nationality, and we have no issues with it. The fundamental issue is that the party itself went against the clamor by its southern members for a necessary power shift. A victory for the PDP therefore will be an affirmation of continuity with Fulani Hegemonic rule and a denial of Nigeria as Multi-Lingual, Multi-Cultural and therefore multi-social, all subsumed under a political structure. On its part, the Labor Party has shown its preference for continuous Unitarism, while its candidate is only pursuing power for its own sake, the reason he abandoned the PDP and got the Labor Party ticket.

(E) On its part, two major recommendations of the APC Committee’s Report on Restructuring are (i) some degree of devolution of powers to the “Federating Units” and (ii) “consequential amendment of the Constitution” if it is accepted that States, (Federating Units) are to exercise control over their natural resources within their territories and paying royalties to the Central Government.

(F) The Yoruba Referendum Committee makes bold to say that Devolution implies the sanctity of the Center and denies Federalism as a relationship between co-equal partners hence cannot be the solution as it retains the power to take back what it has given away. True Federalism, on the other hand, implies (i) re-imagining of the Center, the re-creation of a Center which will ensure the redevelopment of the human capabilities of the various Nationalities that have been in abeyance since colonial intrusion and (ii) addressing the combined and uneven social and economic development of the country.

(G) Further, since the current Constitution is the pertinent and pervasive problem that must be resolved, the question of its “consequential amendment” does not arise. If States (meaning Constituent Nationalities) exercise control over their natural resources and paying royalties to the center, all elements of a dysfunctional Post-Colonial State will be neutralized as its architecture will become dependent on the prerogative of the “States” where all the fundamental indices of development such as planning, and execution of social, cultural, micro, and macro-economic issues will be vested in the Federating Nationality.

(H) If the party is victorious, the above (and others) provides a context for the engagement of the party at both the Regional and National levels. This engagement will be more effective via an alliance between Christians and Muslims in the South, (especially Yoruba and South-South) AND Northern Christians, regardless of any electoral pairing by any political party.

(I) The starting point for this Alliance was already laid by the Chief Anthony Enahoro-led Movement for National Re-Formation. Christians, Muslims and Traditionalists belong to one or the other of the Nationalities. The MNR suggests that the starting number of regions, each of which should itself be a Federation, should be 18, of which 12 will be mono-Nationality Regions, which should be: (1.) Ibibio Federation (2.) Ijaw Federation (3.) Igbo Federation (4.) Urhobo Federation (5.) Edo Federation (6.) Yoruba Federation (7.) Nupe Federation (8.) Tiv Federation (9.) Gbagyi Federation (10.) Hausa Federation (11). Fulah Federation and (12.) Kanuri Federation.

(J) The other six (6) of the Regions should be multi-nationality regions, as followsi) A federation comprising minority nationalities in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states (i.e., Eket, Annang, Oron, Ibeno, Efik, Ejagbam, Korop, Boki, Bakwara, Yakurr, Yala). (ii) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in Rivers and Bayelsa states (i.e., Ikwerre, Etchei, Ekpeeye, Engeni, Ogba, Eleme, Ndoni, Ogoni, and Andoni). (iii) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in Delta State (i.e., Ika, Ndokwa, Warri, Isoko). (iv) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in West Middle Belt, i.e., Zuru, Kambari, Bariba, Bussa, Karekare, Ngizim, Angamo, Bola, Funne, etc. (v) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in Central Middle Belt, i.e.: (a) Ebira Group: Ebira, Uku, Ebira-Ugu, Ebira-Panda, Etuno-Igarra, Ebira Mozun, Bassa-Nge. (b) Igala Group (c) Upper Benue Group: Alago Eggon, Gwandara, Mada, Kakanda, Mighili, Bassa-Komu, Ninzom, Arum etc. (vi) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in East Middle Belt, i.e. (a) Plateau Group: Ngas, Berom, Afezere Taroh, Goemai, Nmavo – Jukun, Amu, Pyem, Youn etc. (b) Taraba Group: Chamba, Jukun, Kuteb, Mambila, Kona, Kunni, Kaanab, Ndoro, Abakwa, Mumuye, Yububen, etc. (c) Savanna Group: Bura, Tangale – Waja, Bachama, Manghi, Kilba, Yungu, Mwanna, Bwazza Mbula, etc.

(K) Although MNR’s suggestion may or may not be reviewed by any Nationality, it will be a good take-off point. Two immediate examples that may be reviewed are the “Fula” and “Hausa” Federations. Every Nationality exists within an Indigenous territory, but these two have been so interwoven that there is hardly any distinction between them, hence their being referred to as “Hausa-Fulani” which may constitute a single Federation. Alongside is the notion of the “Zone”. A zone comprises residents of and from all Nationalities, which if accepted as the Federating Unit, will vitiate the cultural, social, and political imperatives of the Nationality as the foundation for the new society.

(L) This is the reason for Yoruba Referendum Committee’s suggestion of a new Federal Structure, anchored on the Nationalities, which enables each Nationality or combination of Nationalities, to elect or select a representative to the Federal Council, from which a primus-inter-pares will be chosen as the Head of State. This will undoubtedly remove the heavy monetization of elections into offices and places the entire electoral system within the ambit of each Nationality’s cultural prerogatives.

(M) The Yoruba Referendum Committee has initiated the process in Yorubaland via the Petition for a Yoruba Referendum directed at our Houses of Assembly to pass the Bill for a Referendum into Law and begin the process of conducting the Referendum.

(N) Other Nationalities may or may not embark on their Nationality Referendum Route, but the overall decisions of all the Nationalities will become the foundation for a New Constitution for Nigeria.

(O) Our call is now for leaders of other Nationalities in Nigeria, especially their religious Leaders, to accept the challenge and ensure the fullest representation of their Peoples in the continuous search for their security and development.

Editorial Board,
Yoruba Referendum Committee

The want to Islamize Nigeria. They will fail.

Obidient4life3:
The want to Islamize Nigeria. They will fail.

It can not work,is it that they dont use to fear God?.

LoL

Ijaws are for Ijaw Republic and it includes Andoni