Afenifere Condemns Invasion Of Oyo House Of Assembly Over ‘Yoruba Republic’ … Calls For Stiff Penalties For Perpetrators And Sponsors

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere, has condemned the invasion of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Ibadan, on Saturday in its entirety.

In a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary of the body, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere stated that those who took the said step did not act in the interest of the Yorubas whom they alleged to be representing.

It would be recalled that some people who claimed to be Yoruba nation agitators stormed the premises of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan, regarded as political capital of Yorubaland, on Saturday, April 13, 2024.

The invaders and a video clip making the rounds claimed that a purported ‘Democratic Republic of the Yoruba’ had been created out of Nigeria. But Afenifere stated that there is no such thing as Democratic Republic of the Yoruba.

“Yoruba is an important component of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And as is well-known, there cannot be a sovereign republic within an extant sovereign republic.”

 At the moment, Yoruba are indigenous in Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States and in parts of Kwara, Kogi, Delta and Edo State of Nigeria, just as they are found in some other parts of the world.

Ajayi conceded that there is a lot of dysfunctionalities in the way Nigeria was being ran. This has not just begun though as it is a cumulative thing inherited from previous administrations.  

“But solutions to the shortcomings do not lie in violent divisions. Rather, what we should strive for is how the perceived wrongs in the country can be righted. Afenifere is of the strong view that President Bola Tinubu administration is taken steps to rejig Nigeria in a manner that would make the country become one that every citizen would be proud of soonest. Restructuring the country is a sure way of accelerating this.”

He went further to say that Afenifere strongly believes that when Restructuring is effected with constituent entities allowed to be in control of their own affairs, Nigeria will become beneficial to everyone.

“This is why we are relentless in our agitation for Restructuring!”

Roundly dismissing the invaders of the House of Assembly in Ibadan, Afenifere stated that the manner by which they embarked on their misconceived mission clearly indicated that they did not apply sense whatsoever.

“How can a person or group of persons think that invading a State House of Assembly is tantamount to the creation of a Federal Republic? Genuine Yorubas normally think things through before they take actions, especially a fundamental action such as forming or declaring a nation. Yorubas don’t act that way. Rather, they apply wisdom and intellectualism in major steps they want to take. They apply tact. They demonstrate finesse and shun violence as much as possible. Examples of this attitude abound – going by their reactions to some major issues that occurred in the country in recent times.”

Afenifere spokesman concluded by calling for a thorough investigation of the incident with a view to ensuring that perpetrators and those behind the scheme face the wrath of the law maximally so as to serve as a deterrence to others.