Yoruba Nation agitators declare Oduduwa Republic in Ibadan

.As IPOB vows to boycott APC’s activities over Nnamdi Kanu’s ordeal

Joseph Okwuofu, Ibadan and Phil Okose, Onitsha

The Yoruba Self-Determination Movement (YSDM) Thursday storm Ibadan in a move register their call for Oduduwa Republic.

The group also renewed its call for autonomy for the Yoruba nation, citing insecurity, alleged kidnappings and killings in the South-West, as well as concerns about the region’s political and economic future after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu leaves office in 2031.

The movement said its ultimate objective was to secure greater self-determination for the Yoruba people, arguing that Nigeria’s current political arrangement had failed to address challenges affecting the region.

George Akinola, who spoke while responding to questions from journalists, said the engagement was aimed at addressing what he described as the arbitrary exercise of power by Fulani groups, including alleged kidnapping, rape, killings and other violent crimes.

Akinola also expressed the group’s dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s political structure, claiming that the country had become a source of concern for the Yoruba nation.

He maintained that the movement wanted genuine autonomy for the Yoruba people, while acknowledging the need to uphold freedom of movement and association.

According to him, non-Yoruba residents should be able to live and move freely within Yorubaland, although he argued that they should not occupy sensitive political positions.

Akinola further stated that the movement recognised President Tinubu as a Yoruba kinsman but insisted that arrangements must be made to protect the interests of the Yoruba nation beyond his administration, which is expected to end in 2031 if he completes his constitutionally permitted tenure.

The position forms part of the movement’s broader agitation for the establishment of an independent Yoruba nation, which its members have variously referred to as the Oduduwa Republic.

In a lengthy statement titled “Dissolution as the Solution to the Intractable Problems of Nigeria,” the YSDM argued that attempts to restructure Nigeria, introduce resource control or restore regionalism would not adequately address the country’s longstanding political challenges.

The group also raised concerns about insecurity in rural communities, particularly attacks on farmers and residents, and called for measures to protect indigenous communities and their interests.

However, the statement contained controversial allegations and generalisations about Fulani and Igbo people, including claims concerning their origins, economic activities and political intentions. It also proposed restrictive measures on land ownership, market participation and political participation by non-indigenes in Yorubaland.

The proposals raise questions about their compatibility with Nigeria’s constitutional provisions on freedom of movement, residence, property ownership and political participation.

Others who expressed support for the agitation alongside Akinola were Iyaafin Erelu Temilade and Alhaji Isiaka Olalekan.

The renewed call adds to ongoing debates over restructuring, national unity, regional security and the right of ethnic nationalities to determine their political future in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, dissatisfied with the alleged non-entertainment of Nnamdi Kanu’s appeal over his life jail conviction by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Wednesday vowed not to participate in all the party’s political activities for the 2027 general election.

In a press release by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, it read in part thus : “We hereby declare an immediate, total, and permanent political boycott of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Our position is unequivocal: we will not lend our participation, support, or political legitimacy to a party whose government fears facing our leader’s appeal.

“Let the APC and the world understand the singular reason for this decision: the government moved swiftly to secure a conviction under a repealed statute, yet when faced with our leader’s appeal against the 20 November 2025 judgment, the regime retreats. Rather than facing judicial scrutiny before the Court of Appeal, the state has deliberately left the case unlisted.

“Furthermore, any regime is preferable to the APC. Under any other administration, the judiciary would at least be free to list and hear all pending legal cases according to the rule of law, rather than being subverted into an instrument of executive terror”.

According to the release the appeal challenging Kanu’s conviction remained deliberately unlisted, with the government failing to file its respondent’s brief.

“His appeal raises fundamental constitutional questions under Section 36(12) regarding conviction on non-extant laws. They must face the court, not hide behind procedural delay.

“The reported declaration that the case file regarding Onyendu’s 14-month unlawful detention without trial, following his discharge by the Court of Appeal on 13 October 2022, went “missing” at the FCT High Court, is a transparent effort to frustrate fundamental rights enforcement.

“We condemn the continuous military operations, mass arrests, and detentions at Wawa Barracks and Tiger Base targeting peaceful Biafrans while violent, armed bandits across other regions operate unproscribed and unhindered.

“On September 2017, Dave Umahi led the South-East Governors’ Forum to ban IPOB out of envy over Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s massive popularity. That move provided the green light for military crackdowns and heavy casualties across Igboland. Though the Enugu State High Court declared that regional ban unconstitutional on 26 October 2023, the blood on Umahi’s hands remains.

“Local politicians aligning with the ruling regime will be discarded once their usefulness ends. Rochas Okorocha’s political humiliation by the APC stands as a warning to Charles Soludo and others who trade our people’s dignity for political crumbs.

“All Biafrans must withdraw voluntary political support from the APC, boycott its rallies, refuse its insignia, and deny it community legitimacy.

“Civic disengagement must remain non-violent. No ordinary citizen should be harassed or threatened over political affiliations,” the movement stated.

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