F-35 Stealth Fighters Scrambled To Intercept Russian ‘Super Interceptor’ MiG-31 Hours After Su-27 ‘Took Down’ Reaper Drone
By Ashish Dangwal- March 15, 2023
On March 15, the Norwegian Armed Forces scrambled two F-35 fighter jets on a NATO Quick Reaction Alert mission after detecting two Russian warplanes outside Norwegian air space north of Finnmark.

The Russian warplanes—a Su-24 and a MiG-31—were intercepted in international airspace by two Norwegian F-35s sent out on a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission from the Evenes air base, according to the Norwegian Armed Forces.

The Russian fighter jets took off from the Kola Peninsula. Meanwhile, the Norwegian Armed Forces have also made public images of the Russian MiG-31. With rising regional tensions, such interceptions are becoming more frequent.

On March 9, the two Norwegian F-35s deployed as part of NATO’s north QRA scrambled from Evenes Airport to intercept the Russian Il-38 aircraft.

The two Russian aircraft came from the Kola Peninsula’s Severomorsk-1 air base. Both the Tu-142 and the Il-38 are housed at the base. The planes were reportedly on the lookout for NATO submarines when conducting operations over the Barents Sea.




In January 2022, the EurAsian Times reported that the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RoNAF) marked the momentous occasion when F-35s officially assumed the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty, ending the F-16 fleet’s 42-year involvement in assisting its nation and NATO.

The goal of NATO Air Policing is to maintain the safety of Alliance airspace. NATO stated that it is a collective effort and requires the constant presence of fighter aircraft and crews ready to respond rapidly to airspace violations.

Norwegian airspace has never been breached by Russian aircraft in the post-Soviet era. Yet, as a regular operation to protect NATO’s airspace, Norway launches fighter jets to intercept Russians in the far north.

Meanwhile, Northern Norway hosts two extensive military exercises: Joint Viking and Joint Warrior.

Norway’s Joint Viking exercise is entering its second week with nearly 20,000 soldiers from numerous NATO and partner nations participating in the drills inside the Arctic Circle. Warships from several NATO nations are also present in the British naval exercise Joint Warrior off of Northern Norway.

The latest scrambling occurred hours after a Su-27 jet collided with a US military drone, causing the MQ-9 drone to crash over the Black Sea.



File Image: MiG-31
Russian Aircraft Intercepted By RAF And German Air Force
On March 14, the German and British air forces’ first coordinated interception of a Russian aircraft occurred close to NATO airspace. The German Air Force and the UK Royal Air Force dispatched two Typhoon fighters on alert to intercept an Il-78 refueling aircraft near Estonian airspace.

It was alleged that the Il-78 didn’t communicate with Estonian air traffic control. Although the interception was routine, this was the first time the two countries had collaborated on such an operation.

The warplanes are part of the 71 Tactical Air Wing Richthofen of Germany and the 140 Expeditionary Air Wing of the Royal Air Force (RAF).

A Typhoon pilot explained that when the Russian aircraft “transited close to NATO airspace,” they had identified and kept an eye on it.

The German and British jets were then told to change course to intercept a Russian An-148 regional jet airliner reportedly flying near Estonian territory.



Eurofighter Typhoons: German Air Force
As of yet, Russia has not responded to the interceptions. The interceptions are a component of the NATO member states’ rotational four-month Baltic air policing mission.

Joint British-German operations will likely continue through the end of April, as the former plans to take over the long-established Baltic air policing role from its NATO counterpart.

British forces will carry out the missions on behalf of NATO along the Russian border for four months. Four RAF Eurofighter Typhoon jets are currently stationed at the Mari Air Base in Estonia as part of the mission.

According to Britain’s Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, NATO remains the bedrock of collective security.

Heappey added that this coordinated deployment of the United Kingdom and Germany in the Baltics indicates their collective resolve to confront any potential danger to NATO’s frontiers while showcasing united power.

Approximately 300 RAF personnel are in Estonia as the UK prepares to spearhead the NATO air policing mission, which will safeguard NATO skies in the area for four months beginning in April.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has revived fears in neighboring countries, notably Estonia, about Vladimir Putin’s objectives and next measures

Hiss...opera news?

Hiss...opera new?

FalseProphet1:
The dark forces are gradually encroaching into this one's destiny, he's already reasoning like someone who's case is dead and buried, you will need serious flogging from my holy cane so that we can return your case back to factory settings. This I have seen.

longest time F. Prophet...

Macsjebs:

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8066051/Early-waterworld-3-2-billion-years-ago-without-continent-sight.html

Macsjebs:

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8066051/Early-waterworld-3-2-billion-years-ago-without-continent-sight.html

lalasticlala:


https://punchng.com/hoodlums-fired-gunshots-before-setting-igbohos-house-ablaze-police/

Nigeria with politics,all these are planned work,its just a game to protect sunday from the hand of fedral might..if you know you know.

MikePhilly:


https://www.facebook.com/62188827209/posts/10159008704462210/

With the amount of energy and goodwill invested into the video production, it's safe to assume FFK is well underway to wooing beautiful women around the world- The11thWave for Plugcentralhub

MikePhilly:


https://www.facebook.com/62188827209/posts/10159008704462210/

With the amount of energy and goodwill invested into the video production, it's safe to assume FFK is well underway to wooing beautiful women around the world- The11thWave for Plugcentralhub

stonemind:
me too

Inbox me

Macsjebs:
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8981175/Lion-clearly-takes-pride-locks-shows-beautiful-hair.html

No be one country get these shining lion looking dupe but if na naija na sorry things

Soarr:
Helinues abi anus abi whatever is godforsaken name is, hope you and your clueless goons will come with a well detailed fact to counter this..

Since una no wan get sense, pls beckon on that dead meat no sense seller too. I want to hear what you have to say..
And for all those that labelled it fake and photoshop and said some people instigated violence with fake news, if truly no one was killed in lekki toll gate, may the lord bless you all abundantly but if soul were lost that day, may you and your families never escape bullets..
You all will keep dreaming of bullets till it kills you all..

Soarr:
Helinues abi anus abi whatever is godforsaken name is, hope you and your clueless goons will come with a well detailed fact to counter this..

Since una no wan get sense, pls beckon on that dead meat no sense seller too. I want to hear what you have to say..
And for all those that labelled it fake and photoshop and said some people instigated violence with fake news, if truly no one was killed in lekki toll gate, may the lord bless you all abundantly but if soul were lost that day, may you and your families never escape bullets..
You all will keep dreaming of bullets till it kills you all..

ifeoluwa0803:
hi....owo

Add me on whatsapp to talk better

Our Masquerade must be contented that he has had his last dance on the 20th day of October 2020 at the Lekki Toll gate now a.k.a TOLL OF BLOOD. The Jagaban put his right leg of insatiable greed and left leg of inordinate ambition out on that fateful day. On the day, it was not business as usual. His deceitful dance and summersaults did not move the audience. No applause. The audience began jeering.


The brouhaha over the article: "Bola Tinubu: The Fall Of An Emperor at Lekki toll gate", will continue to generate different reactions from friends and foes, probably till 2023, when the manifestation or otherwise of this fall shall become evident before Lagosians, Nigerians and the world at large.

There is nothing unethical or ethnical about unveiling the masquerade, named Jagaban, who has in over two decades learnt and perfected his dancing skills and performed eye popping somersaults to the admiration and envy of his admirer and foes respectively. The people have the right to discuss their leaders, rulers and ruiners.

Growing up in Ibadan, the political headquarter of western Nigeria, and by extension Yoruba nation, I have nostalgic feeling of Ibadan as one of the homes of masquerades. How they are celebrated for their dancing steps to the beats of 'bata' drums. A Yoruba adage says, "Bi egun eni ba jo o re, ori aya atokun e". If one's masquerade dances well, its Director will be excited.

The markets often times are the scene of masquerades' dance, though they are occasionally done at three road junctions, (oritameta). The idea behind this is that the more the audience they have the opportunity of entertaining, the better for their popularity and acceptance. Moreover, the applaud of the crowd is a necessary impetus to each participating masquerade as they seek to outdo each other.

Masquerades are usually dressed by men in their covens (igbale). Bola Ahmed Tinubu a relatively unknown masquerade who though many alleged had bore so many names before 1992, was dressed by SDP leaders headed by Chief Dapo Sarumi, for the big dance at the 'political market square'. He entered with a fresh beautiful dancing steps that attracted roaring applause from the crowd of Nigerians Students and masses in general. He stole the show. The dance ended well. This Masquerade like the ghost that mythology bestowed on them joined other masquerades to inspire their captivated audience (the Nigerian people) to chase out the military, the then enemy of the people back to the barack in 1999.


Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi
Bola Tinubu has not ceased to dance since then, he dance so well against the then President Olusegun Obasanjo and was nicked named "the last man standing" as Lagos State was about the only State in the hand of the opposition. Tinubu became one of the pan-Yoruba leaders, or so we thought. It wasn't out of place to dress our masquerade for a big show in Abuja. He led the Yoruba nation to the 'Dance of Change' in 2015. What a thrill it was. The Yoruba nation responded with applause in their multitude. It seems the Yoruba nation have finally found a replacement for the Big Masquerade from a little town called Ikene that once danced majestically well on behalf of the Yoruba nation. But, we found out to the contrary, as opportunities to project the general interests of the Yoruba nation were always subsumed for his personal interest, aggrandizement and ambition each and every time these interests clashes.

The seat of the Speakership of the House of Representatives in the 7th Assembly exposed him. The two foremost candidates were Aminu Tanbuwa from Sokoto and Mulika Adeola from Oyo State. The position would have afforded the Yoruba nation the Number 4 citizen seat in that government. What did our self centered Masquerade do? He pull his structure to support Aminu Tanbuwa, against a bonafide daughter of Oodua. No Yoruba was in the first ten office in the country for that four years. Again, between two Yoruba sons: Yusuf Suleimon Lasun and Femi Gbajabiamila, instead of intervening in the overall interest of the Yoruba nation, the masquerade preferred one of his drummers and canebearer to Lasun. That singular 'misstep' and political miscalculation is the reason APC could only have won
2018 Osun State Governorship election via remote control.

There was applause across the Niger when Mulika was traded off for a political alliance with the Northern oligarchy who fools itself that it is their exclusive right to seat upon the throne of Nigeria as they are born to rule, nay, ruin the country. Our masquerade was celebrated, redressed and renamed Jagaban. The craftiness of the power mongers who preys on the inordinate ambitions of our greedy, self-centered politicians, carved a title unknown to their Party Constitution for our masquerade and the 'a o merin joba' song was chorused for his now sored dancing feet. He is eager to dance but deaf to the drum's message and blind to the pit on which the throne was murderously placed.

Since then, the steps of this Masquerade has been back and fort, throwing every other interest off board because of his Presidential ambition, though he is entitled to his ambition. But must it be by trading us off.

A Masquerade that came to National limelight as the leader of the Yoruba nation but now could not add his voice to call for regional policing, who fooled the nation with a promise of Restructuring the federation during campaigns in 2015 and who could not use his influence (or whatever is left of it) to end the incessant attacks on his people's lives and properties.
Muhammadu Buhari has not for once hid is identity as a Fulani nor his bigotry in appointment, our masquerade has lost his voice to call and seek for moderation in appointments inspite of laws to support such call.

Our Masquerade must be contented that he has had his last dance on the 20th day of October 2020 at the Lekki Toll gate now a.k.a TOLL OF BLOOD. The Jagaban put his right leg of insatiable greed and left leg of inordinate ambition out on that fateful day. On the day, it was not business as usual. His deceitful dance and summersaults did not move the audience. No applause. The audience began jeering. The masquerade sensed the end beckons. But he is not ready to leave the stage without a fight. He weighed the options: support or suppress the people? He chose the latter. He went on his abracadabra that has hypnotized his audience for years but that didn't suffice either. As a last resort he called on his true 'ally' to help wound and kill his unimpressed audience. Deploying family and official to put out the light at the toll gate setting the ground for the shameful dance to preserve his hold as the 'landlord of Lagos' by whose influence all market are subject to his daughter whim and caprises. Where his son is the Lord of the outdoors advertising in Lagos. Highbrow area such as Lekki toll gate are ceded to his son's company: Loatsad Promomedia Limited. It was this company that brought the darkness under which the imported killer machine murdered our armless youth protesters. In sane clime, Loatsad Promomedia Ltd would have had their contact with Lagos State terminated for its role in what the world witnessed at Lekki, but ours is far from been normal.

Loatsad and people behind it put out the light on a political strength which our youths represent. With this, Loatsad and those it represnts stands as unwilling enemy of masquerade Jagaban. I know the youth will reward him accordingly come 2023.
His unappreciated allegiance to Muhammadu Buhari against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Nigerians is another political misstep only the future will reveal that indeed the Emperor himself ended his empire with unholy trade off of his people.

The masquerade communication indiscretions will continue to alienate him with the Yoruba nation no matter how his drummers and canebearer try to shout otherwise. In his bid to please his Fulani killers, he displayed loss of control in pen and tongue, writing to the Yoruba leader whose daughter Fulani herdsmen gruesomely murdered, he wrote:
'Funke and I shared a happy and close relationship. We regularly exchanged ideas and advice to each other. We could speak to each other freely and honestly because of mutual respect that described our relationship. These talks enriched me. I shall miss them. Showing her fine personal character and gratitude, Funke wrote the following words to me which I wish to share with you now to illustrate the goodness of her spirit: “Thank you so much for your help. I appreciate your help. You helped me to get another opportunity to live. Mo dupe. Best regards and with all respect.”

He was so insensitive to go on the rooftop to publish the deseased personal message to him: “Just to appreciate you once more. I am here Sir. The treatment is progressing. I am trusting GOD. Thank u for making it possible. Mo dupe Sir. May you continue to grow in His Grace. Amen.”
Very unfortunate and distasteful to turn a period of mourning to self aggrandizement. Why should the assistance given to a married woman in her moment of struggle against cancer become a condolence massage before her father and during a public visit? What does this masquerade wish to gain from this shameful dance? This is a sure political debit.
Only the Arakunrin family could tell the embarrassment of the vomit his pen and words might have caused.

Further, in his letter, Masquerade Jagaban wrote: "this is a time for consolation and genuine condolence". But when the opportunity of a physical visit provided Asiwaju the opportunity to practise what he preaches, he chose to be a hypocrite. His vestipuration disparaged the Igbo nation, he needlessly pointed accusing finger at the Igbos, citing Evans the kidnappers as not being a Fulani man, and it was therefore wrong to hold Fulani herdsmen responsible for the murder of Olufunke Arakunrin. As said earlier, the masquerade will always want to please his murderous Fulani and he won't give a damn whose ox is gored. He berated is rating as a national leader as investigation later confirmed the initial suspicion of the Yoruba nation that it was the Fulani herders and not the Igbo that killed Olufunke.

Like a masquerade who has been given too much alcohol under the scorching sun, Jagaban's embarrassing inconsistencies on Yoruba and national issues came to head since that black Tuesday 20:10:20, when the gun of the military was turned at Nigerian youths. His words has kept changing like the climate of the day, with one thing said in the morning, and another in the afternoon. He even have the indecency to suggest the need for victims to be queried on what they were doing out at what is now TOLL OF BLOOD .

Critics like me cannot be welcome around Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what we represent and stand for. It's nothing personal. We remain unrepentant lover of the Nigerian State and of all in love with her. It will be most unfortunate for Asiwaju to view us as his enemies. We advise him to go and find his enemies from: the people he has helped to power who are now hell bent on destroying him, the sycophants around him before whom he is infallible, his suffocating hold on and management of Lagos State like a family business and lastly his failure to stand for all the Yoruba nation interest rather than representing his few supporters.

The Lord does not want the death of a sinner but his repentance. May be this masquerade will look back and reflect on issues raised from not-so-friendly quarters and embark on personal turn around exercise. God's mercy can still avail and a new Dawn of selfless service devoid of deceit can be birthed.

The People First.

Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko , Founder, Igbo Youth Movement knocks governors and leaders from South-east Nigeria, while praising their counterparts from the South-west for their courage to insist on true federalism as solution to the nation’s problems

These are trying times for Nigeria, a country forged by the British empire, a little over a century ago, reeling under ethnic divisions, bad governance, corruption and an unworkable unitary constitution.

A country suffocating from neo colonialism, imperialism and prependalism, a country sitting on an timed bomb.
As God Almighty, in his infinite mercy and wisdom pricked the consciousness of the land by granting an insight of what awaits the land through the ENDSars protests, organized by the angry youths of the land, commonsense dictates and demands that the whole land wakes up to the reality that the ill wind blowing, will definitely make a horrific landfall, unless we sit up and save the land.

Instead of setting up a committee to address the structural issues that produced over 40 million idle able bodied young folks, the Presidency sends a team to the regions to sell gagging the social media, completely ignoring the structural problems that gave birth to unemployment, inequality, inequity, prebendalism, nepotism, mediocrity, insecurity and poverty that is ravaging the land.

The hunger and anger that rules the land as a direct result of an unwieldy unitary structure foisted by the military, forcloses any future for the teeming populations, as none of the 36 states is viable economically to absorb the great army of angry unemployed folks frustrated and crippled by the bizarre structure run on monthly allocations from the central government.

The very first early signs of what is to come, so frightened and scared our leaders to the sad and unintelligent conclusion that gagging the social media is the solution to our problems. Unfortunate and shameful.

But that is not the big problem. The real problem is that the first zone visited by the Presidential team, refused to speak truth to the government.
Governors, legislators, traditional leaders and clerics gathered at the Government House Enugu, but they only issued a terse empty communique dancing around the truth, but dutifully avoiding the truth, for reasons known only to them.

Yoruba leaders to the rescue. Glory and thanks be to God, that this same Presidential delegation moved to Lagos where the South-west governors, traditional leaders, clerics and elders told them the truth the other region earlier visited was too scared to tell them: that restructuring the country remains the only solution to our problems.
God bless Yoruba leaders!

Which reminds us of the indefatigable Senator Abraham Adesanya and the highly inspiring leadership of the great Afenifere a quarter of a century ago, and the ” On June 12 we stand ” mantra that ushered in the 4th Republic.
God bless Yoruba leaders!

It is this consistent rudderlessness and lack of balls from my region that has made it very difficult, if not impossible for the youth of my region to respect or look up to the pseudo leaders of my region.
It is this shameful behaviour of the so called leaders of my region, that inspired secession agitators to move into the leadership vacuum and attempt to take over leadership of my region.

It is the tactless believe of the so called leaders of my zone, that guns and bullets rained regularly on the agitators will help them regain the lost respect of the younger generation of my region that has brought us to where we are today.
Sadly they refused to learn.

God bless Yoruba leaders for speaking the truth to the Presidential delegation. God bless Yoruba leaders for inspiring us all. God bless Yoruba leaders for standing up for truth and truth only.

With tears in our eyes we kneel down and pray to God Almighty to touch the hearts of leaders of our zone, to learn from Yoruba leaders that truth alone heals the land, truth alone, will earn you the respect of the younger generation, truth alone will bring peace.

The truth remains that 99 percent of the troubles plaguing Nigeria can only be solved through reconstructing the polity to true federalism and power devolution of the First Republic and nothing else.

Again, God bless Yoruba leaders for speaking the truth our own ” leaders ” were so afraid to speak and carefully avoided in their communique.

[quote author=benjackugo post=95837860]Nigerian Father Of Two Punishes His Wife By Sleeping With Her Younger Sister (Photos)

A Nigerian father of two, Maduakor Wiseman Jesus said that the best way for men to punish their wives if they provoke them is by cheating with their relatives, IgbereTV reports.

According to him, his wife left him and their infant baby after he cheated on her with her younger sister.

He wrote:

"If your wife provokes you and you want to punish her cheat with her sister or relative and make her to find out, there is nothing more painful to them like cheating with their blood, they may not care if you cheat outside.
I don't post what does not work for me. She will be pained all the days of her life. In fact I have been cheating on my wife, if she find out I apologize. Immediately I found this strategy, I cheated with her junior sis and she left a breastfeeding baby for me and leave. she never returned, we separate. That's why I know it Pained them.

PIG

Kanu said that his statement was twisted by his enemies to suit their purposes, and urged his followers and the entire Igbo to guard against any destruction in the ongoing #EndSARS protests across Nigeria

Leader of the Yoruba World Congress, Professor Banjo Akintoye, on Friday, described Tuesday's shooting at unarmed protesters at Lekki, Lagos by security forces as a declaration of war against the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Akintoye, in a statement, also tackled President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to show empathy at the injured protesters and those who lost loved ones during his nation-wide address.

Prof. Banji Akintoye

The Yoruba leader also expressed worry over the wanton destruction of properties and monuments across Yorubaland in the last 48hours without any form of resistance from security agencies.

The professor said it is evidence that the amalgamation of 1914 between the South and the North has already expired.

He also called on the international communities, especially, the British and American Governments, United Nations, European Union, African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations to, as a matter of urgency, come forward to be part of the renegotiation team to discuss the existence of Nigeria, stressing that the reality on the ground does not indicate that restructuring can still save Nigeria from extinction.

The statement reads, "President Buhari addressed Nigerians on the serious crisis now confronting Nigeria, the problem which started with peaceful protests by Nigerian youths but which suddenly grew into widespread violence in Lagos State, in some other parts of the Yoruba South West and other parts of Nigeria, and which the international press has been valuably reporting on.

"President Buhari's address sounded like a reluctant address crafted to touch mostly on inconsequentials and to avoid the most compelling aspects of the crisis. To the surprise of all Nigerians and the whole world, President Buhari did not acknowledge that the protest started peacefully and remained commendably peaceful until the protesters were shot at in Lekki, Lagos.

"The whole world had watched as the youthful protesters conducted themselves in an orderly manner, and even as they cleaned up the trash that was generated by them in the streets. Most Nigerians accept that the demands being made by the protesting youths were reasonable and justified in the interest of Nigeria.

"We are all witnesses to the fact that in admiration of all these, Nigerian citizens and even non Nigerians from abroad rushed food, drinks, and money to the protesters in the streets. We are all witnesses to the fact that the youths were sitting, holding small Nigerian flags and singing the Nigerian national anthem at the Lekki Tollgate when some troops dressed in Nigerian uniforms suddenly began to shoot at them.

"We all saw on the video the deaths and injuries that the shootings caused, and we are shocked that President Buhari did not say anything about the shooting at the peaceful and unarmed protesters. He did not say anything about the killing and wounding of the youths. He did not express any concern or sympathy with the victims, their parents and relations.

"President Buhari also said nothing about the very troubling questions that have grown around the Lekki shootings. The Lagos State Governor, who is the Chief Security Officer of Lagos State, has said that forces beyond his control did the shooting.

"The Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Army in the Lagos Area has denied authorising the shooting. The Nigerian Army has also denied ownership of the whole action. Many troubling questions have now arisen. Who authorised the shootings? What are the true identities of the shooters who were clothed in the Nigerian Army uniforms?

"President Buhari also said nothing about another very troubling fact. There was manifestly present, during the peaceful protests, an effort by some persons to infiltrate bands of thugs and hoodlums into the peaceful protests, obviously to disrupt and discredit the peaceful process, and thereby manufacturing an excuse for a repressive government clampdown on peaceful protesters."

He added, "In some places, especially reported/alleged to be in Abuja, publicly owned vehicles were seen again and again on video worldwide bringing the thugs and hoodlums to the scenes of peaceful protests. We Nigerian citizens, Nigerians in Diaspora worldwide and the whole civilised world, want an explanation of this feature of the ongoing Nigerian crisis.

"Inevitably, we Nigerians are asking many troubling questions. Does there exist in this country a secret paramilitary force that has access to Nigerian Army uniforms and its owners can employ that against targets in the Nigerian population? Is there a group of people in this country that have a special agenda of their own and who are employing the authority and resources of the Nigerian state to implement their plan?

"Troubled by these and allied questions, most Nigerians are now coming to various conclusions and demands. We, Yoruba, of the Nigerian South West, a nation of 55 million people in Nigeria, now demand that to achieve a peaceful resolution of the convoluted Nigerian problems and the widely devastating insecurity in Nigeria, Nigeria should embark on serious negotiations over the whole Nigerian situation.

"We demand a negotiating table at which the representatives of the various nationalities of Nigeria will come face to face to negotiate. We are not demanding to restructure; we are demanding negotiation by the nationalities, the owners of the various ancestral homelands that constitute Nigeria. Nothing less than that can now adequately address the catastrophic situation into which Nigeria has now sunk.

"Alternatively or in addition, and to prevent further violence, bloodshed and destruction in our Western region, the region that is responsible for most of the industrial, commercial and professional productivity in Nigeria, we call for face-to-face negotiation between the leaders of our Yoruba nation and President Buhari as the head of the Nigerian Federal Government, to immediately stop further violence and bloodshed in our region and the rest of Nigeria.

"With all sense of responsibility, we call upon the United Nations and significant agencies and factors of the International communities, and on all the most powerful countries of the world, to step forward now to support our demand for negotiation and exercise the needed influence to make the negotiation happen. We ask the world to remember that in the background to the present crisis in Nigeria is the situation whereby, in the past five years, one of the nationalities in Nigeria has incessantly proclaimed it's agenda of using violence to subdue other nationalities, to seize the lands of other nationalities, to banish some nationalities from their homelands and to invite their non-Nigerian kinsmen to come and occupy the land.

"We ask the world to remember that this nationality positioning themselves as conquerors have been killing, maiming, raping, kidnapping and destroying in most parts of Nigeria in pursuit of their proclaimed agenda.

"We ask the world to remember that in the throes of the consequent insecurity, Nigeria has plunged frighteningly into poverty, deprivation, and horrific human suffering.

"We ask the human race to respond expeditiously to the Nigerian situation in the exercise of its responsibility to protect the vulnerable and threatened people by acting upon our call for peaceful and responsible negotiation now."

Akeredolu receives Certificate of Return from INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner Ambassador Rufus Akeju The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Tuesday issued Certificates of Return to Ondo state Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his deputy Lucky Ayedatiwa. Both Akeredolu and Ayedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious after Ondo state governorship election last Saturday.

For some, it is still a rude shock
how the major opposition
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) and its governorship
candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, lost
last Saturday’s 2020 governorship election in Ondo
State despite the seeming
fanfare, seeming acceptability in
Ondo Central, which has a huge
voter population A considerable
number of people were of view that the party would win the
election based on sentiments
across Akure, the state capital,
which is also the hometown of
the state’s former Attorney-
General and Commissioner for Justice, Jegede. But governor Oluwarotimi
Akeredolu and candidate of the
ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC), who hails
from the North District, defied
such odds and emerged victorious, thus repeating
history and beating the two
other major opposition parties
and districts as it was in the
2016 guber race. There were a lot of campaign
issues against Akeredolu.
These were coupled with some
draconian policies of the APC-
led Federal Government under
President Muhammadu Buhari, which many believed would
jeopardise the governor’s re-
election. He did not help matters
too with some homegrown
policies like increase in tuition
fees in tertiary education in the state. Moreover, the
performance of the major
opposition party in Edo State a
few weeks ago, when the PDP
governorship candidate,
Governor Godwin Obaseki, defeated the APC flagbearer,
Osagie Ize-Iyamu, had given
Jegede and his supporters hope
of replicating same feat in the
Ondo election. Advertisement
Advertisement Since the party’s victory in Edo
State, the hope of PDP
supporters surged in the state.
They were upbeat that the same
fate would befall the ruling party
without considering the circumstances that made Ondo
State election peculiar and
different from Edo’s. But the result of the election, as
announced by the Returning
Officer of Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC)
and Vice Chancellor of the
University of Ibadan, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, clearly proved
the underestimated factors that
worked against the major
opposition party at the poll. Akeredolu, who hails from the
North Senatorial District of the
state, defeated his close PDP
rival, Jegede, under the same
circumstance that played out in
the 2016 election, winning all the councils in both South and
North Senatorial Districts, and
three LGAs in the Central
District, where Jegede hails
from. In summary, Akeredolu won 15
local government areas, namely
Akoko North West, Akoko North
East, Akoko South West, Akoko
South East, Ose, Owo, Idanre,
Ondo West, Ondo East, Ondo West, Odigbo, Irele, Ilaje, Ese-
Odo, Okitipupa and Ileoluji/
Okeigbo LGAs. The PDP candidate and second
runner-up, Jegede, polled
195,791 votes to win three
councils namely Akure South,
Akure North and Ifedore, while
the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate and Deputy
Governor, Agboola Ajayi, who
scored 69,127 votes, even lost
his Ese-odo Local Government
Area. For the second time, Akeredolu
defeated his age-long friend,
Mimiko. First, in 2016 when he
supported Jegede and on
Saturday when he chose to
support the state’s embattled deputy, Ajayi. The election, as
noted by political readers, re-
enacted the 2016 realities, when
Governor Akeredolu cashed in
on the disunity between the
South and North districts to win the November 26, 2016
governorship election for his
first term. Advertisement
Advertisement According to observers, a lot of
sentiments led to the defeat of
the PDP candidate, Jegede,
who was picked to succeed the
former governor, Dr. Olusegun
Mimiko. They noted that the candidature of Jegede was a
bad choice for the ruling party
then, because he hails from the
same Central District with
Mimiko, who had spent eight
years as governor after breaking the second term jinx. The South District, which has
been the stronghold of the PDP
since inception of democracy in
1999, felt marginalised and
decided to support the
emergence of a third force in 2016. Bearing same semblance
with 2020, each district had a
strong contender in the 2016
election, but the North and
South Senatorial Districts united
to defeat the political recklessness of the PDP and
Central District represented
then by Jegede and Mimiko. As said then by political
analysts, it was morally wrong
for the PDP to perpetuate a
district at the expense of other
districts, especially the South,
which has been clamouring against marginalisation and
abandonment by successive
governments. The agitation
since 2016 has given the South
and North Districts some mutual
grounds for agreement to always work against the major
opposition party, the PDP and
the Central District, suspected
of plans to hold onto power
forever. Advertisement
Advertisement Just like 2016, immediately
Ajayi lost out in the July 22,
2020 PDP primary election,
majority of the southerners
believe that they could wait for
Governor Akeredolu and APC to finish the next four years rather
than Jegede becoming the next
governor in which case they
would wait for another eight
years. Also, the inability of the
South and Central to work together, as typified in the last
minute decisions of the former
to present Oke and Ajayi as
third forces in 2016 and 2020,
respectively, punctured the
chances of the PDP and gave APC and Akeredolu tremendous
advantages. Taunting the PDP over its
performance at the last polls,
the APC stressed that PDP had
lost the ability and capability to
win election in the country,
declaring that the party’s victory in Edo State election on
September 20, 2020, was a
mirage. Without mincing words,
the Secretary of the APC
National Campaign Council for
Ondo 2020, Mustapha Saliu, stated that the Edo and Ondo
elections were two different
scenarios, on which the PDP
had earlier tailored their
narratives for unrealistic
advantage. Saliu, who is also the Acting
National Secretary of APC,
noted that; “I want to tell you
categorically and unequivocally
that there is a difference
between campaigns and rallies.” Advertisement
Advertisement “Even the Edo election was APC
election. The governor is still a
progressive. It is the manifesto
and the works he did based on
progressives’ principles and
ideals that made Edo people vote for him again. So, it is not
PDP. This election was different
compared to Edo. Meanwhile, Jegede and Ajayi,
who emerged second and third
respectively, are yet to make
any public declaration on the
election, but their parties
disclosed that they were studying the results and would
make their decisions public
soon. As confirmed by several civil
society organisations and
observers, large-scale voter-
inducement drastically dictated
the outcome of the poll. But
constitutional lawyer, Mr. Kayode Ajulo affirmed that all
participating parties were
equally involved in the process,
particularly the three leading
political parties, adding that they
tried in the game of outspending and outwitting one another. He explained that the only
difference was the financial
strategy, wit and coordination of
the political parties involved to
facilitate the act, attributing
PDP’s failure on inability to present a united party for the
election. He said it negated its
chances at winning. Reeling out the unwritten zoning
formula of the state, Akeredolu,
alongside

By Dayo Johnson,
Akure Ondo state Governor-Elect, Rotimi Akeredolu has expressed shock that he lost the Saturday governorship election in three local government council areas in the central senatorial districts despite his developmental works in the councils. Akeredolu said this during an interview on Channels Television monitored in Akure, the Ondo state capital. The governor-elect lost Akure South, Akure North and lfedore council areas to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Eyitayo Jegede in the governorship election held on Saturday across the 18 council areas of the state. These three council areas in the state are considered the stronghold of Jegede. Akeredolu in the poll won 15 of the 18 councils with 292,830 votes as against Jegede who the three councils areas polling 195,791votes. The candidate of the third force, Zenith Labour Party who didn’t win any council polled 69,127 votes While reacting to a question on winning 15 of the 18 councils in the election, the Governor-Elect said ” When it comes to the issue of winning 15 local governments, it’s just a slight improvement of what I did the last time. “The last time I won 14. Talking seriously, I thought I was going to win the 18 local governments. “I’m shocked at what happened in Akure because I take Akure South, Akure North and Ifedore as one Akure. So, I’m shocked at the development there. But I’ll put that behind me. I’ll move forward. I thought I would win in Akure because I worked in those three local governments where people turned against us. But it’s alright with me. We’ll forget it.” “The event that commenced this process, like the deputy governor who decided to jump ship. I was shocked too. Although, I got to know it’s going to happen when I saw his movements. I said okay, this man has made up his mind to go. “I think God answered my prayer, I was praying for him to go and I think he has to go anyway because you cannot have people who will be there and want to stab you at the back and you want to keep them in the house, no. “You cannot have a snake under your roof and think you can sleep well. So, it was good we asked the snake to go, so we had to sleep properly. “So, that’s taught me a lesson in politics. But it’s not a new thing. It has happened over and over, right here in South West, even in the North, everywhere. “Look at the case of Baba Awolowo and Akintola, look at Omoboriowo and Ajasin here. So many instances. ” For me, it’s not something new. When he had to leave, I was very happy and I knew it was politics and I was going face a lot of what I’ll call blackmail because that is their stock in trade because there is no other thing they’re going to throw at us, throw at me, at my wife and children. “But what I’ll say is that matters like this do repeat itself but it cannot come from the deputy that I’ve chosen now. Akeredolu said ” I have a lot of confidence in him. I don’t see him behaving like the former one.

Sodiq Oyeleke

Results from 16 Local Governments have shown that Ondo State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Rotimi Akeredolu, has maintained the lead in Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

The results were announced by the Local Government collation officers at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s collation centre in Akure early Sunday morning.

Akeredolu won in 13 LGAs while the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, won three.

The Deputy Governor and Zenith Labour Party candidate, Agboola Ajayi, has not won any.

Akeredolu has so far garnered 252,880 votes.

Jegede is trailing with 179,623 votes.

Ajayi is in a distant third with 73,257 votes.

A breakdown of the figures shows that the APC candidate is leading his closest rival, Jegede, with 59,171 votes.

The PUNCH reports that 17 political parties are participating in the governorship election held in 18 local governments.

SEE RESULTS FROM 16 LGAs

1: Owo LGA
APC – 35,957
PDP – 5,311
ZLP – 408

2: Ondo East LGA
APC: 6, 485
PDP: 4,049
ZLP: 3,221

3: Akoko North-West LGA
APC: 15,809
PDP: 10, 320
ZLP: 3,477

4: Akoko South-West LGA
APC: 21,322
PDP: 15,055
ZLP: 2,775

5: Akoko North-East
APC: 16,572
PDP: 8,380
ZLP: 3 ,532

6: Irele LGA
APC: 12,643
PDP: 5,493
ZLP: 5,904

7: Ile Oluji LGA
APC:13278
PDP: 9231
ZLP:1971

8: Ifedore LGA
APC – 9350
PDP – 11852
ZLP – 1863

9: Akure North LGA
APC – 9546
PDP- 12263
ZLP- 1046

10: Idanre LGA
APC: 11286
PDP: 7499
ZLP: 3623

11: Ondo West LGA

APC: 15,977
PDP: 10,627
ZLP: 10,159

12: Akure South LGA

APC: 17,277
PDP: 47,627
ZLP: 2,236

13: Akoko South-East LGA

APC – 9419
PDP- 4003
ZLP – 2004

14: Ose LGA
APC – 15,122
PDP -8421
ZLP – 1083

15: Okitipupa LGA
APC – 19266
PDP – 10367
ZLP – 10120

16: Odigbo LGA

APC – 23,571
PDP – 9485
ZLP – 6540

Kayode Oyero

The candidate of the Zenith Labour Party and deputy governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has lost his local government in the October 10 governorship poll in the state.

Ajayi had won the Apoi Ward II, Unit 004, Idumado Quarters, Kiribo in the Ese Odo Local Government Area, with a wide margin having garnered 395 votes. His closest contestant and All Progressives Congress flagbearer, Rotimi Akeredolu, scored 13 votes while the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, secured five votes.

But the deputy governor lost to his estranged boss and governor of the state at the local government level.

Ajayi’s ZLP polled 4,760 votes while APC scored 13,383 votes leaving Peoples Democratic Party’s Eyitayo Jegede with 4,680 votes.

The results were announced on Sunday afternoon by the Local Government collation officers at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s collation centre in Akure, the state capital.

The collation, which is taking place at the INEC office at Alagbaka in Akure, brings the election which was held on Saturday closer to its conclusion.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 17 parties are on the ballot, although some have collapsed their structures to campaign for others.

Incumbent Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress is also seeking re-election but is expected to face stiff competition from the Peoples Democratic Party’s Eyitayo Jegede and the Zenith Labour Party’s Agboola Ajayi.

Scroll down for the latest updates on the election.

Mr Rotimi Akeredolu has been re-elected as Governor of Ondo State on the back of a campaign in which he promised to provide composed and focused leadership marked by economic growth and improved security for people in the state.

Read the full story here.

14:18: All local government results have now been announced.

14:11: Ese-Odo LGA

APC – 13,383

PDP – 4,680

ZLP – 4,760

14:02: Ilaje LGA

APC – 26,657

PDP – 11,128

ZLP – 4,005

12:04: Odigbo LGA

APC – 23,571

PDP – 9,485

ZLP – 6,540

10:44: Ondo West LGA

APC- 15,977

PDP- 10,627

ZLP – 10,159

10:30: Okitipupa LGA

APC- 19,266

PDP- 10,367

ZLP – 10,120

10:17: Ose LGA

APC – 15,122

PDP – 8,421

ZLP – 1,083

10:00: Collation of results has resumed.

2:28: Collation has been suspended until 9 am.
Akeredolu In Early Lead As Collation Continues

Incumbent Governor of Ondo State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Rotimi Akeredolu, shot into an early lead on Sunday as the Independent National Electoral Commission began to collate results of the state’s Governorship election held on Saturday.

After 12 local governments, the Governor, who is seeking re-election for another four years, recorded 178,854 votes.

His closest challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party’s Eyitayo Jegede, recorded 141,083 votes. Read more.

2:27: Results for 12 of the state’s 18 local governments have been collated with six more LGA results being expected. Akeredolu has won nine of the local governments while Jegede has won three.

02:25: Akure South LGA

APC – 17,277

PDP – 47,627

ZLP – 2,236

02:16: Akoko South East

APC – 9,419

PDP – 4,003

ZLP – 2,004

02:00: Idanre LGA

APC -11,286

PDP – 7,499

ZLP – 3,623

01:55: Owo LGA

APC – 35957

PDP – 5311

ZLP – 408

01:45: Akure North LGA

APC – 9546

PDP – 12263

ZLP – 1,046

01:33: Ondo East LGA

APC – 6485

PDP – 4049

ZLP – 3,221

01:27: Akoko North West

APC- 15,809

PDP- 10,320

ZLP – 3,477

01:21: Akoko South East

APC – 21,232

PDP – 15,055

ZLP – 2,775

01:12: Akoko North East

APC – 16,572

PDP – 8,380

ZLP – 3,532

01:05: Irele LGA

APC – 12,643

PDP – 5,493

ZLP – 5,904

00:59: Ile Oluji Oke Igbo LGA

APC – 13,278

PDP – 9,231

ZLP – 1,971

00:49: Ifedore LGA

APC – 9,350

PDP – 11,852

The APC, according to the results announced so far by INEC, is leading with over 60,000 votes.


In Akoko North East
APC =16,572
PDP =8,380 votes.
In Irele LG
APC=12,64
PDP 5,493 votes.
In Ifedore LG
APC= 9,350
PDP= 11,852 votes.
Akure North
APC=9,546 votes.
PDP=12,263
Akoko South
APC= 21,232
PDP=15,055 votes
Owo LG
APC=35,957
PDP=5,311 votes.
Akoko North West
APC=15,809
PDP=10,320 votes.
Ondo East LG
APC=6,485
PDP=4,049 votes.
Ile Oluji LG
APC=13287
PDP= 9,231 votes.
In Idanre LG
11,286 votes
PDP7,499 votes.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has an early lead after winning eight of the ten Local Governments announced.

The APC, according to the results announced so far, is leading with over 60,000 votes.

Results from 10 of the 18 Local Governments in Ondo State have been announced so far by INEC.

In Akoko North East, the APC secured 16,572 votes while PDP garnered 8,380 votes. The governor polled 12,643 votes in Irele local government while his closest rival, Mr Jegede secured 5,493 votes.

And in Ifedore local government, the APC garnered 9,350 while the PDP polled 11,852 votes. Mr Jegede garnered 12,263 votes in Akure North while Mr Akeredolu polled 9,546 votes.

Meanwhile, in Akoko South West, the governor polled 21,232 votes while Mr Jegede got 15,055 votes. In Owo local government, the hometown of the governor, he polled 35,957 votes while his closest rival, Mr Jegede garnered 5,311 votes.

Mr Akeredolu polled 15,809 in Akoko North West, votes while Mr Jegede got 10,320 votes. In Ondo East local government, the governor polled 6,485 votes while his closest contender, Mr Jegede polled 4,049 votes.

In the same breath, the APC polled 13,287 votes in Ile Oluji local government, while the PDP garnered 9,231 votes. In Idanre local government, Mr Akeredolu polled 11,286 votes while Mr Jegede secured 7,499 votes.

The results were announced in each of the local governments by the presiding INEC electoral officials.

A socio-cultural group has advised Ndigbo and non-indigenes in Ondo State to back the re-election bid of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
The group, under the auspices of Ndigbo Patriotic Association, said the governor deserved a second term, considering his developmental strides.
Speaking with reporters yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra State, the President-General of the group, Mazi Obinna Okeke, described Akeredolu as honest, saying Ondo State people were lucky to have him as governor.
He listed some of the governor’s achievements to include Ore Industrial Park, Mother and Child Hospital at Ifon, the N9.2billion chocolate factory and the N4.2billion egg factory.
Okeke said: “The people are privileged to have such a forthright man as governor.
“The electorate, including Ndigbo and non-indigenes, should troop out en masse on Saturday to vote for Akeredolu for continuity and sustainability of his laudable programmes.”
He praised the wife of the governor, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, for her passion towards driving gender equality and women development in the state.
Okeke extolled her for some of her laudable initiatives such as the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), Ondo Widows Care and others, which, according to him, have positioned Ondo women for sustainable growth and development.

Oduduwa Race/Family. Kwara State (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà) is in Middle Belt of Nigeria. Its capital is Ilorin. The primary ethnic group of Kwara State is Yoruba, with significant Nupe and Bariba minorities. History Kwara State was created on 27 May 1967, when the Federal Military Government of General Yakubu Gowon broke the four regions that then constituted the Federation of Nigeria into 12 states. At its creation, the state was made up of the former Ilorin and Kabba provinces of the then Northern Region and was initially named the West Central State but later changed to "Kwara", a local name for the River Niger. Kwara State has since 1976 reduced considerably in size as a result of further state creation exercises in Nigeria. On 13 February 1976, the Idah/Dekina part of the state was carved out and merged with a part of the then Benue/Plateau State to form Benue State. On 27 August 1991, five local government areas, namely Oyi, Yagba, Okene, Okehi and Kogi were also excised to form part of the new Kogi State, while a sixth, Borgu Local Government Area, was merged with Niger State. Local Government Areas Kwara State consists of sixteen (16) Local Government Areas. They are: Asa(Yoruba) Baruten(Baruba/Bariba) Edu(Nupe/Nupe) Ekiti(Yoruba) Ifelodun(Yoruba) Ilorin East(Yoruba) Ilorin South(Yoruba) Ilorin West(Yoruba) Irepodun(Yoruba) Isin(Yoruba) Kaiama(Baruba/Bariba) Moro(Yoruba) Offa(Yoruba) Oke Ero(Yoruba) Oyun(Yoruba) Pategi(Nupe/Tapa). 12 Yoruba Speaking local Governments, 2 Nupe/Tapa, and 2 local governments for Baruba/Bariba. Official Language is Yoruba Language.

No going back on Oduduwa Republic

-Prof. Banji Akintoye, president, Yoruba World Congress

•Calls for Nigeria’s breakup not treasonable

Eminent scholar and President of Yoruba World Congress, Prof. Banji Akintoye has declared that agitation for self-determination is a legitimate struggle, and not an act of treasonable felony as the federal government wants Nigerians to believe. As such, he vowed that there will be no going back on the renewed push for an Oduduwa Republic for the Yoruba nation, even as he advised against using force or taking any action that may cause harm to those calling for Nigeria’s breakup. He spoke further on this in this interview with TUNDE THOMAS.



On this agitation for Oduduwa Republic, some Nigerians are saying that it is a fluke, and another attempt ……

Cuts in…Those saying that should wait until October 1st to know whether it is real or not. But I want to declare here that nobody should harbour any doubt about the determination of Yoruba for self-determination. There is no going back, and come October 1st, we are going to make a formal declaration about it, and nobody including federal government can stop us. The whole world is already aware of our mission, and there is nothing federal government can do about it because what we are doing is not in any way illegal. It is within our legitimate right to determine whether we want to stay or not in the union called Nigeria. There is no way we can be held against our will if our people have already made up their mind to leave Nigeria. Nigeria is living on borrowed time, and it is just a matter of time before we all go our separate ways. There is no going back, Oduduwa Republic has come to stay. It has become a reality.

There is so much injustice in Nigeria, and it is only here you have this kind of injustice, and oppression. There has been so much Fulani domination, and oppression of other groups in the country, and we can’t continue this way and this is why we feel that the best option for Yoruba is to exercise their right to self-determination. A country where one group is always aspiring to conquer other sections can no longer be called a country. The situation in the country today is so bad that it has gone beyond restructuring, which some people are even calling for. The Fulani people have a hidden agenda, and unfortunately President Muhammadu Buhari is helping the Fulani to actualise their agenda of dominating other Nigerians through his political appointments and general ways he has been running his government, and other Nigerians can no longer fold their hands and continue watching things going on this way. Another annoying thing is that the Fulani in Nigeria are even bringing Fulani from outside Nigeria to participate in the conquest of other Nigerians. This is no longer acceptable. Countries fight wars but when they do so, it is against outsiders, and not against their own people like the Fulani are doing to others in Nigeria. A country where a section is aspiring to conquer other sections can no longer be referred to as a country. The Fulani say Nigeria belongs to them, and that they are going to take lands that belong to other ethnic nationalities, and this is why you have all these invasions taking place in the Middle-Belt, Southern Kaduna, and other parts of the country. The reality of the situation is that we the Yoruba can’t continue to live with another group that believes in the subjugation, and conquest of others.



Will you say this is part of the reasons why the clamour for Biafra, and North-Central Republic has been growing louder?

The Fulani invasion of other parts of the country has destroyed Nigeria, and majority of Nigerians no longer have faith in this country again. This is no longer the Nigeria of the dream of the founding fathers. Since majority of Nigerians no longer have faith in being together again, the best solution is for people to go their different ways but we don’t have to do it in a chaotic manner. The best way to go about it is to generate a process of negotiation, whereby we would sit around the table, and discuss in frank manners so that we won’t be enemies of one another for ever like the situation you have between Israel, and some Arab nations. It must be done in such a way that there will be no bloodshed or loss of lives. Other countries especially in Europe have done it that way, and so there is no reason we can’t do it also. There is nothing strange about Nigeria breaking up, and not only that, I believe the break-up can be done peacefully.

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo recently convened a dialogue with leaders of five socio-cultural groups across the country where he raised the alarm that Nigeria was drifting fast to a failed state. Do you agree with him?

Nigeria is already a failed state, a country in which some citizens of the country are invading other sections, and the federal government couldn’t stop it. If this is happening, and those who are supposed to stop it are not doing so, then in what other way do you refer to Nigeria other than being a failed state?

All the indices point to the fact that Nigeria has not only failed but it is disintegrating, fast. Although I don’t know the time-line but definitely breakup is imminent, and there is nothing anybody can do to stop it. I also want to state categorically here that any attempt to stop agitating for breakup will fail. Already the United Nations, and other members of the international community are aware of what is happening in the country. Any attempt to suppress people expressing their interests to self-determination will fail.

Obviously, the former President is pushing for restructuring, and a new constitution rather than the amendment the National Assembly is working on, is that the way to go?

The National Assembly is not working on any amendment. They are just deceiving Nigerians. This is what they claim to be doing every year, and it has been discovered that this is nothing but deceit. Almost every year the National Assembly claims to be doing this but Nigerians have discovered that they are not being honest so there is nothing to talk about on that. And like I said earlier, Nigeria has even gone beyond restructuring. What we should be talking about now is negotiated break up. That is the only solution to Nigeria’s problems.

For those saying that Obasanjo is a hypocrite for calling for restructuring when he failed to carry it out when he was in power, I will just say that Nigerians should remember that Obasanjo is just a human being, and to err is human. Moreover, what is not clear to him that time may have been clearer to him now. For him to even have the courage to call for restructuring now shows that he is a patriot, and a man of honour. But for me, and some other Nigerians, the situation in the country today has gone beyond restructuring, it is only break up that is the answer. Obasanjo is a citizen of the world whose opinions, and views are taken seriously, so whatever he is saying I will advise those in authority to take him seriously.

Nigerians asked for deregulation of power, and fuel supplies, and now the government is doing that, it seems to be coming out with periodic hike in prices, what do you say about this?

It is very unfortunate. The aim, and objective of governance should be to make life comfortable for citizens but in this clime, it seems to be the other way round. It is unfortunate that Nigerians are being overburdened. This is part of the reason why many are already fed up with the country. It’s sad that most of the policies of the government are making Nigerians to be frustrated, and when you add insecurity to all these, then you can imagine the pains Nigerians are going through.

Opposition and labour leaders are angling for protest over this, do you support their plan?

Although I would have preferred talking about the agitation for Yoruba self-determination, but I believe it is within the democratic rights of those wishing to go on strike to do so. They have the constitutional rights to embark on that course of action. More so when you have a government that appears not to be sensitive to the plight of the citizens, then the labour leaders, and members of the civil societies can rise up to the occasion to be advocates for the masses, especially the poor Nigerians.

There have been recent concerns that Boko Haram is moving gradually towards South with the military confirming their presence around Kogi, and Abuja. How do you see that development, and how do you think Yoruba can protect themselves?

It is a shocking development. But in all this the question you ask is how prepared is government for such an ugly development? To make matters worse, it is not only Boko Haram that we have to contend with now as other terrorist groups from Syria, and Libya have infiltrated Nigeria. You also have the Al-Queda from Iraq in the country now. All these terrorist groups have one aim, and their objective is to use resources of Nigeria to conquer other parts of West Africa. The situation in Nigeria today is dire and we should not deceive ourselves, and Yoruba, and other ethnic nationalities should be prepared to defend their homelands. Anybody or group waiting for government is deceiving himself. You will remember that there was a time General TY Danjuma warned that Nigerians should be prepared to defend themselves, that anybody waiting for government is doing so at his own peril. The federal government is not showing any inclination to defend anybody.

Why has it been difficult for the Armed Forces to defeat Boko Haram?

We should ask those in authority. Every time they keep on boasting that they have defeated Boko Haram, but we keep on seeing Boko Harm getting more ferocious, and deadlier. What we are seeing is the unfortunate situation where Boko Haram is getting stronger and stronger. To checkmate the ugly situation something drastic has to be done. What is the problem with our military? Is it that they are not getting the right equipment, and the logistics? Another factor we also have to consider is the issue of corruption being raised in the military, because we hear of massive corruption taking place within the military which many are saying is affecting not only the performance of the troops but also lowering their morale. Nigerians are tired of excuses, and propaganda but what they want is concrete action being taken to neutralize Boko Haram, and other terrorists who have infiltrated the country.

How effective can you say Operation Amotekun has been?

So far, those in charge across the states have been trying their best to protect the Yoruba homeland from terrorists, and other infiltrators. Although they are taking off slowly but they are demonstrating their resolve to live up to the task of protecting Yoruba from external aggressors. The South-West state governors are in charge, and my appeal to them is that they should do everything possible to give the outfit the support required to make it an effective tool in demonstrating to any external aggressors that the Yoruba have what it takes to defend themselves from external attack without waiting for the federal government.

So much fraud in billions is daily reported from probes into NDDC, Amnesty programme, and the EFCC, what do you make out of all these?

Corruption is the culture of governance, and leadership in Nigeria. It has become part and parcel of our culture. In 2014, when Buhari was campaigning to be elected, he made so much promise to tackle corruption, but today has anything changed? No. Corruption appears to be more thriving, and the situation is not helped by the fact that Buhari himself is not running a transparent government. He appears to be running a government with hidden agenda to promote the interests of one section of the country over others.

Although they’ve set up probe panels on some of these cases but what is going to be the outcome? Nigerians no longer have confidence in the government again. But Nigerians can’t continue this way. My fear for this country is that if we continue this way, Buhari may be Nigeria’s last President. There is a lot of bottled emotions, and anger across the country, and this is why the agitations for self-determination have become stronger today than ever before.

But agitations for self-determination, some have declared, amount to act of treasonable felony, what do you say to that?

It doesn’t, and I don’t agree with those saying so. Even the constitution guarantees freedom of association. It was the amalgamation of 1914 that forcefully brought different nations together. Nigeria is made up of so many nations. Moreover, this is not the first time that people have been calling for breakup of Nigeria if that will bring the desired peace. Notable Nigerians including late Chief Anthony Enahoro, and Prof. Ango Abdullali, the leader of the Northern Elders Forum have publicly done so, without anybody harassing them, and this agitation will continue as long as oppression, and injustice continue to pervade the country.

Yoruba in Kwara write NASS, demand joining South-West
26th September 2020

LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin

The people of Kwara South Senatorial District, through the Kwara South Consultative Forum (KSCF), have submitted a memorandum to the 9th National Assembly’s Committee on Review of the Nigerian Constitution, with a demand for the merging of the Yoruba of Kwara and Kogi states with their kith and kin in the Southwest region through boundary adjustment, adding that they should have their own administrative units within the proposed region.

They further demanded that the rest of Yoruba in the remaining five local government areas of Kwara state should be part of Kwara Yoruba to be merged with the proposed Western region through a referendum.

The Forum’s National President is former Secretary to the Kwara State Government at the take off of the State in 1967, Chief Joseph Aderibigbe.

The Forum lamented that the Yoruba of Kwara South occupying seven out of the 16 local government areas in the state and their counterparts in Kogi state were not given any say to determine where they wanted to be and who they wanted to live with before lumping them in the Northern Protectorate, contrary to their right to self determination as enshrined in the United Nations Atlantic Charter.

The Forum in their submission to the National Assembly said: “The search for freedom, liberty, independence, and self determination for our people, born and unborn, therefore continues. We want a group and region to which we truly belong, where respect between us and others is reciprocal. We can no longer tolerate second class citizenship, marginalisation and domination in a place and state that is supposed to be for all of us who live in it.”



On the presidential system of government, as currently practised in Nigeria, the KSCF boss noted that it is very expensive for the country’s economy, adding that it’s also insufficiently participatory to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the citizenry, including the country’s heterogeneity, hence the clamour by the Forum for the return of the country to the parliamentary system of government.

The Forum further said: “The bureaucracy paraphernalia of the presidential system are so numerous and unwieldy that its maintenance constitutes a huge drain on the resources of government. Too much power is concentrated in the executive arm, particularly the President, to the detriment of the legislature that represents the actual federal nature or character of our people.

“Corruption is rife and more pronounced under the presidential system as is currently being witnessed in the country. The nation’s experience since 1966 has shown that parliamentary system would attract less corruption and abuse of power, be more responsible and responsive to the nature of Nigeria’s federalism.

“The adoption of a parliamentary system of government would reduce the power of the executive that oversees our national security and foreign affairs. Besides, we recommend that the National Assembly should be a unicameral, part time institution. This would drastically reduce the cost of governance and the spate of acrimony associated with elections and representation.”

Rumblings of discontent and demand for Oodua republic

Adebanjo
Rising wave of insecurity and loss of lives. Ethno-religious related upheavals. Unresolved farmers/herders clashes. An ailing economy. Increasing poverty rate among the population. Real and perceived imbalance in appointments into political and other sensitive positions. These are the key issues and complaints that have dominated the discourse when various self-determination groups and ethnic nationalities voice out their desires to secede from Nigeria.
Allegations have specifically been rife that the current administration has continued to treat alleged criminalities by his kinsmen with kids gloves just as the security agencies have been accused of failing to provide adequate security in the face of threats posed to other tribes by Fulani herdsmen.


The agitations of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by the British-Nigerian activist, Nnamdi Okwu Kanu, are fresh. The group pushed for the secession of the Southeast from Nigeria. But security forces were dispatched to quell the agitation while Kanu left to fight another day.

Recently, the North-Central Peoples Forum (NCPF) broke away from the umbrella body of northern Nigeria, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), triggering fears in some quarters about the unity of the north and indeed Nigeria. Concerned stakeholders hinted of the need to “do something urgently to douse the tension ragging among the ethnic nationalities.”

In floating the group, however, prominent leaders in the North Central cited security challenges in the region as key reason. This came on the heels of the emergence of a similar group, from the ACF, North East Elders Forum, NEEF, barely two months ago.

The latest rumbling of discontent is now sounding off in Southwest Nigeria. A Pan Yoruba group, O’odua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC), has called on Yoruba people to prepare for a sovereign nation, called ‘Oodua Republic.’

Reacting to the call, a chieftain of Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo lamented that many socio-cultural groups now seem tired of discussing restructuring hence the secession song. He blamed the governance style of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for aggravation of sufferings on Nigerians.

He observed that sustained herdsmen killings, among other security concerns, recently pushed the six governors of the Southwest to establish a new security network, codenamed Amotekun, in a bid to bolster security of lives and property in the region.

Although, the development triggered different reactions across the country, with a section of the North and government seeing it as a step ahead of a possible secession plan by the southwest, the Middle Belt regarded it as a step worth emulating in securing their territories and people from the excesses of the Fulani.

Recall that the Yoruba nation has been at the forefront in the demand for restructuring and true federalism. But it may be growing weary, what with the new song of secession.

There are insinuations that the Aare Onakankanfo of Yoruba Land, Otunba Gani Adams may be part of those championing the demand for Oodua Republic following some of his recent comments. Another opinion is that Adams may be planning surreptitiously to thwart the chances of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, currently perceived to be nursing ambition to contest the 2023 presidential election. In a recent social media video, Adams did not hide his feelings of discontent with those he accused of betraying the interest of Yoruba because of their selfish reasons and personal gains.


Leaders of O’odua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC), Oluwole Suleiman, Michael Popoola and Mrs. Aduke Fadahunsi have, however, stressed the need for the creation of a Yoruba sovereign nation, Oodua Republic became necessary in the face of lingering problems and conflict built around the national question that has stunted the growth of Nigeria for over a century.

They claimed that the conflict has again reared its head 50 years after a civil war that inflicted pain and misery on the Yoruba people, apart from distorting the development plan of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo for the Southwest.

ONAC is made up of 18 Pan Yoruba groups including the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Oodua Liberation Movement (OLM), Oodua Republic Coalition (ORC), Yoruba Revolutionary Congress (YORC), Oodua Muslim-Christian Dialogue Group (OMDG), Yoruba Students Nationalist Front (YOSNF), Oodua Hunters Union (OHUN) and 11 other groups.

ONAC maintained that going by earlier call by Northern youths asking Igbo to quit the North, the outright demand for Arewa sovereignty by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), the legitimate demand for Biafra by Igbo, the call for a Niger-Delta Republic, it is high time Yoruba people stood up for Oodua Republic without further delay. “Yoruba people, this time, will not support any attack on self-determination. We shall mobilise the masses and prevent Yoruba people from being used for any attack on the long-suffering indigenous peoples of the Southeast and the South-South,” the group added.

But how realistic is the Oodua Republic being demanded given the division among Yoruba leaders, elders, politicians and all its socio-cultural groups? For instance, the presumed apex socio-cultural Afenifere is currently factionalised into three, with one, led by the late Pa Ayo Fasanmi and being said to be loyal to Tinubu, on the side of the Federal Government. That faction lent support to President Buhari in the 2019 general elections. The faction led by Pa Reuben Fasoranti tilted towards the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and backed the former Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku in the same election. The third group is the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) led by Wale Oshun.


The irresolvable crisis in Afenifere gave birth to Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF), which at one time claimed to be the umbrella body of all socio-cultural groups in Yoruba land but has become a shadow of itself since the death of its leader, Mrs. Hannah Awolowo, wife of former leader of Yoruba, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In similar vein, the voice of Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) is only heard through its Secretary General, Dr. Kunle Olajide. Worst still, there is no form of cohesion among the Yoruba traditional rulers just as the newly formed Yoruba World Congress (YWC) that was formerly headed by Professor Seth Akintoye is currently hit by leadership tussle.

Examining the workability of secession in the face of highlighted challenges, scholars, political leaders and elder statesmen called for caution and warned against the likely consequences of an idea they termed ‘untimely.’

Majority of the voices that spoke said it was imperative of necessary stakeholders in the region to act swiftly and not allow some militia groups to put the Yoruba nation against other ethnic nationalities in the country. They also warned against the serious consequences inherent in such move not just for Yoruba race but the country.

In a reaction, titled: ‘Looming Oodua secessionist tragedy – Southwest rulers, governors and people’s honour at stake,’ a Professor of Communication in the Department of English, University of Abuja, Taofiq Adesina Azeez said “to describe the ongoing agitation for Oodua Republic as a tragic commentary on the assumed integrity, intelligence and enlightenment of the people of the region is, for want of better words to describe the distasteful drama.”


The don said it was unthinkable that a race reputed as the most educated in this contraption called Nigeria will choose miscreants to fight their cause, appoint an erudite Professor as Prime Minister before asking for the republic through rallies. While the miscreants can be forgiven for not knowing that a project such as this is a mirage, the professor and the elite cannot be pardoned.

He noted that the demand is a mirage for two reasons. “One, it is ill-timed and, therefore, ill-fated. Two, it is in violent clash with enlightened procedures, which the educated people of the region should know even if the miscreants could not learn from the recent experience of fellow Nigerians.”

He added: “We cannot afford to divide before a battle with our enemies. Not now that our political structure is at the weakest and our politicians are most vulnerable. Not now that some great minds are beginning to objectively appraise the merit of true Federalism and the value of unemotional restructuring. Not now.”

Professor Azeez said it required two methods to create a Republic from an existing one: “Universal Referendum procedure, which may take several years and ‘Unilateral Declaration,’ otherwise known as secession. Either way, nothing good will come to the Southwest. The first one will take our time, energy and resources while the rest of the World will carry on ignoring our grumblings. The second option will be suicidal. The remaining part of the country will jump at the opportunity to crush the arrogant but envied race. They have done it before.



“They will want to “Keep Nigeria One” as usual and, in the process, move over and level the region. At the end of the day, the rich miscreants and their sponsors would run away to their masters and leave the poor masses to sulk as they often do.”

Azeez added that the foreign powers would pretend they are officiating/mediating while they sell their weapons. And that may be the end of the race. “The biggest setback would be if there is counter rally on October 1 and we are further divided along sectarian sentiments. If the traditional rulers, the governments and the enlightened people of the Southwest are not in support of this imminent bloodbath and self-annihilation, they should speak up now or declare their supports so that ordinary people will know who to hold responsible.
“We are watching and while doing so, we would hold our rulers and governors responsible for every drop of the precious blood of our people from this moment on,” he said.

President, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Aare Prince Osibote, who succeeded the founder of the group, the late Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, said secession song is not what Yoruba need for now.

Osibote said not even at a time when the sincerity of leaders, elders and political practitioners of the region to the demand for restructuring is still questionable. “It is unthinkable that some groups of Yoruba are now imagining Oodua Republic seceding from Nigeria.”


Osibote said if up till now, our leaders and elders are yet to tell us the actual story behind our failure to actualise June 12, 1993 Presidential mandate of the late Chief M.K.O Abiola, acclaimed winner of the election, then we should question the credibility of those behind the agitation for Oodua Republic.

He warned those championing what he described as totally ignorant secession demand to remember that Southwest region is at its lowest ebb and is being confronted with numerous internal challenges, which are yet to be addressed. “To add secession to it, we will just turn ourselves into laughing stock before other regions. Such agitation, as good as it sounds, is ill-timed and cannot be achieved now.”

He warned the six governors of the region to realise that such a big issue could not be left for ‘nonentities’ or those in the Diaspora to champion for us, saying, the orchestrators should either be ignored or called to order and be educated on the danger involved. “We also need to know whether those behind the agenda are doing so genuinely or because of what they intend to get as reward,” he added.

The OPC chief said there was nothing wrong in Yoruba contesting the presidency in the 2023 election as long as whoever is going to get there will perform and move the country out of the woods. “The present government is not doing well and the democracy we are practicing today is not what we fought for. But the issue on ground requires wisdom. Yoruba elders must purge themselves and allow mutual trust to reign in their midst.”

Open Letter To Baba Akintoye And Baba Akingba
By Egbe Omo Oduduwa
Esteemed Leaders,
It is with a high degree of responsibility that the Yoruba Referendum Committee writes this Open Letter to your esteemed selves, as part of our intervention on issues begging for answers within the Yoruba Nation today.

(1) While we do not and indeed cannot feign ignorance of the storm currently buffeting the political and organizational initiative both of you have co-founded and are leading ( the Yoruba World Congress), we have no doubt at all in your ability, capability and wisdom to ride the waves and tame the currents well enough to facilitate resumption of navigation towards the desired destination. Our confidence in both of you is rooted in the solid reputation you have built in your separate but related contributions to the defense of the Yoruba Nation and her quest for Self- determination. While we earnestly await the resolution of the political and organizational glitches which we trust your selfless disposition and sacrificial commitment will bring to fruition very soon, we wish to request again your attention to the historic opportunity which Providence presents before our nation to fulfill her destiny - the Yoruba Referendum Project - the attainment of which in your lifetimes will be a befitting crown to all your efforts.

(2) Sirs, we are re-inviting your attention to this Referendum Project because both of you are not only directly engaged in the Yoruba Referendum Committee, you have also provided quality leadership towards its gestation and birth in terms of intellectual perspectives and practical methodologies. We, therefore feel duty bound to humbly but strongly call on you now to renew your commitment to that Idea, that Agenda which, to all intents and purposes, appears to be the WAY, the peaceful WAY to achieve Yoruba Autonomy within a Nigeria reconfigured as a Multi-National Federal State.

(3) The Yoruba Referendum Committee is aware that individuals play their parts in history, but they do not, as individuals, determine the circumstances under which such history is made; otherwise, it will be taken as an article of faith that such individuals create moments of reckoning for their People when it is the other way round. In other words, individuals respond to the circumstances they find themselves, for the good or ill of their societies. Our history bears witness. Limiting ourselves to the immediate past of the anti-military struggles, the failure to achieve Yoruba Autonomy at the end of military rule in 1998/1999, despite holding the Nigerian Post-Colonial State by the jugular, created a vacuum in Yoruba National leadership, consequently leading to a state of anomie in Yorubaland.

(4) The Nigerian Problematic, that manifests in various forms, as military rule; Water Resources Bill; RUGA; banditry or terrorism; Unitarization; all within the context of unsuitable, bigoted economic and social philosophies of colonial exploitation, resulting in vicious cycle of continuous human and material underdevelopment of the Peoples of Nigeria. Attempts at legitimizing this contraption through arbitrary and whimsical serial tinkering with the so called Grundnorm, the latest of which is the ill-fated move by the Central Legislature to review the 1999 Constitution, have all ended up to further atomize the Nigerian Problematic rather than confront and re-configure it in a holistic and fundamental manner.

(5) The Yoruba Responses to all of these can be broadly categorized as follows: one, the uncritical adoption of the report of the 2014 Jonathan Conference and its emphasis on “state police”, “state constitutions” ; two, the clamor of Nigerian National Referendum on a new Constitution for Nigeria; three, the varied efforts by several groups, demanding Self-Determination or Independence through protests and demonstrations; four, the utilization of existing governing state administrations for purposes of development; five, the quest for a Yoruba President of the Nigerian Post-Colonial State. These reactions have resulted into a well-documented damage to the existential paradigms of various Nationalities in Nigeria by the Post-Colonial State, which, by definition and operation, is a NEGATION OF THE NATIONALITIES.

(6) It is within the context of Nigerian Problematic and its attendant negative consequences that the Yoruba Referendum Committee is calling for a Yoruba Referendum, to situate all of the various responses by the Yoruba Nation under one methodology of resolution, pursuant to which Article 10 of the Bill for a Referendum provides “Constitutional Council of Western/Oduduwa Region shall be vested with powers to present and represent the views of Western/Oduduwa Region and negotiate on behalf of the Western/Oduduwa Region with all the agencies of the Nigerian Government and non-Governmental organizations involved in the process.”

(7) The Referendum together with its outcome not only represents the expression of the aspirations and expectations of our people, it also provides the JUSTIFICATION and LEGITIMACY of our quest for AUTONOMY. Beyond all this, the Referendum as well as its positive outcome provides our people the platform for relations (negotiations and consultations) with other Peoples and Nations within and outside the Nigerian Post -Colonial State.

( Scotland, Catalonia and Quebec, went through similar experiences, where, despite the differences in leadership and varieties of strategies, from electoral pursuits by their Nationalist Parties to non-governmental organizations clamoring for Autonomy and Self-Determination, all anchored on establishing not only the will of their Peoples but also the Legitimacy of their demands; the contrasts and contradictions eventually brought under the aegis of their Referendums, leading to their different stages of Sovereignty being enjoyed today, and these, despite fierce resistance by their Central Governments, who, each in its own way, tried all in its power to scuttle the movement for Sovereignty.

(9) Their Referendums provided the pathway towards the resolution of not only their internal contradictions but also the alternative State Structure for an Autonomous Quebec; transition from devolved power in Scotland to a settled Scottish Regional Autonomy, and this, still pursuing Scottish Independence, while Catalonia was also able to restore its Regional Autonomy with further prospects for Independence.

The Yoruba Referendum Committee is therefore calling on you ,our respected leaders to, as a matter of urgency to throw your significant weight behind the entire process beginning with this Committee’s efforts to convene a Yoruba Consultative Assembly as the popular democratic institutional launch pad and build-up preparatory to the presentation of formal request(s) to the Houses of Assembly of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States to pass the Bill for a Referendum into Law. It goes without saying that this process will provide a sound basis and back -up for the demand for Referendum by the Okun in Kogi State to determine their relationship with their Yoruba kith and kin.
This Referendum pathway will reset the resolution of any issue in Yorubaland within the political, social, cultural and economic paradigms of the Yoruba Nation by reducing its subordination to the imperatives of the Nigerian Post-Colonial State; itself requiring the redefinition and reconstitution as "A Federal Nigeria, through a valid 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”.
Thank you, Sirs.
The Yoruba Referendum Committee