Adejoke Adeleye,Abeokuta
Some secessionist agitators on Saturday defied warning by Governor Dapo Abiodun to stage protest for creation of Yoruba nation out of Nigeria in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
Ogun Governor had in a press statement signed by Chief Press Secretary warned against embarking on any form of protest in the state to mark the June 12 national Democracy Day.
“M.K.O Abiola, the symbol of June 12 celebration abhorred violence. He was an apostle of peace. In fact his election had been adjudged as not only the freest, but the most peaceful”, he noted.
He therefore urged the people not to embark on any form of protest that could be hijacked by hoodlums and enemies of democracy with ulterior motives.
Also, Governor Abiodun in Abeokuta, the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola’s (MKO) hometown warned secessionists and agitators for Biafra, Yoruba Nation or any other nation not put the country on fire by through what he described as ‘unpatriotic and destructive action,’ but to work towards unity and peace in the country.
He said the circumstances that surrounded June 12th, 1993 annulled presidential poll, denial of late Abiola as duly-elected President and his untimely death in 1998, should be the centripetal and not centrifugal force against Nigeria and Nigerians.
Governor Abiodun, while speaking at the special celebration and parade at the MKO International Stadium, Kuto in Abeokuta on Saturday, said, “MKO Abiola and his mandate should serve as a reminder to all of us that we are stronger together as a nation.
“He broke all barriers such as religion and ethnicity that are being used in Nigeria today to divide us. He won across the length and breadth of this country, even at the backyard of his main opponents. It was a phenomenon that should remind us that we are greater than our challenges.
“Unless and until we embrace the essence of the MKO persona, internalize belief in self, faith in a united country and other initiatives that help to engender a sense of shared heritage amongst Nigerian people, we will continue to be a country in search of Nationhood.
“Let us push all the negative and divisive forces and policies on the back-foot and embrace the symbolism of June 12. Let us join hands to make Nigeria work for all Nigerians. This will end all quest for self-determination and other sectarian agitations and calm frayed nerves.
“June 12 represents what will strengthen the country’s unity, indivisibility and oneness. Therefore, we must not forget that, as individuals, we can also change the course of history, like MKO did, even at this point in time. We must all note that each and every one of us, our actions and inaction, will either propel the country forward or fuel the already tensed situation.
“Our country should rise and fulfill its full potentials in the comity of nations. The best way to immortalize and celebrate MKO Abiola and June 12, particularly, at this time of our national life, is to build bridges and demolish fences. We should think Nigerian and not sectarian. We should not limit that mandate and success to 1993. We must ensure that the hope is kept alive. We cannot afford to bring down our country or show despair in our future. Truly, Nigeria shall rise again.”
However, some Yoruba nation agitators and youths on joined June 12 protests in Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode and other parts of Ogun state, armed with placards bearing various inscriptions, including #BuhariMustGo and #YorubaNation, among others.
This prompted the closure of major markets and shops as traders and residents stayed back home for the fear of backlash.
Speaking in Abeokuta, the state capital, a Coordinator of Oduduwa Nation, Sola Kogbodoku, said the protest was meant to intimate the world that Yoruba are ready for secession.
She said “We are here for a peaceful protest to let the whole world know that we, Yorubas in the country called Nigeria, are ready for freedom. We are ready to self determined our lives, what we do, how we do it and where we do it. This is a rally without fight, without war, without killing and without any atrocity.”
Another Yoruba nation agitator, Azeez Suleiman, said “We are here today to let everybody through out the whole world know that Yoruba is a typical nation created by Almighty God. All our resources should not be taken away from us. The Yoruba are being treated like a slave on their fatherland which is not supposed to be.”