Ditched Yoruba Nation: Wither in 2023?

The Yoruba nation has never supported being part of the Federal Government. After the quest for the Centre by Obafemi Awolowo was put down in 1959/60, the mainstream Yoruba lost interest in any alignment with the Fulani North.
All efforts by the likes of TOS Benson, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Adisa Akinloye, Richard Akinjide and of course Ladoke Akintola to align the Yoruba with the North were rejected.
The concept of “DEMO” was an abusive and derogatory idea in Yoruba land in those days.
In any case, Awo’s Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) reached out to the North in 1979 – there was an agreement with the then Northern Mafia; led by Adamu Ciroma and Datti Ahmed. But the North were fearful and terrified by the intellect of Awolowo. So the quest by UPN failed. Despite choosing Mohamnadu Kura of Bauchi as running mate, Awolowo was made to lose.
The Igbo on the other hand were willing bedmates to the house of Fulani. Despite their being slaughtered in 1965/66 on the streets of the North, and even despite the civil war, the Igbo were the beautiful bride of the Fulani. Azikiwe and Ojukwu still ended up with National Party of Nigeria (NPN). They ate their vomit.
In 1979, the Igbo and Fulani shared the spoils of their war. Ume Ezeoke, Ekwueme, Chuba Okadigbo, Uba Ahmed, Umaru Dikko Shagari too over Nigeria.
The House of Awolowo was content with being alone in opposition politics, despite the taunts of Akinloye and Akinjide.
Down to 1999, the mainstream Yoruba never believed in Nigeria. Most wanted true Federalism, so that we can be separate from the Igbo and the Fulani. We don’t have much in common with these peoples anyway.
Yoruba never supported Obasanjo. No reasonable Yoruba could have taken Obasanjo who was an instrument of the caliphate in the destruction of the industrial base of SW and other legacies of AWO in place of Olu Falae.
So the mainstream of Yoruba least was content being outside the realm of the Federal Government.
Then came the Northern flavoured quest to defeat the Yoruba and plunder it into the Federal Government. Obasanjo was used towards this end, and he virtually succeeded in putting down the Alliance for Democracy. The 6 States of Yorubaland was to be taken over.
The last man standing was Ahmed Tinubu. That alone gave Tinubu credibility. The title Asiwaju just emerged on the account of his standing up to Obasanjo and his Fulani cohorts.
By 2014, the Yoruba mainstream was weary and so readily disposed to working with the Fulani. Just any bloke, anyone put up by the North became acceptable.
Ahmed Tinubu read this sentiment correctly and took the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) into a merger with CPC. The Jonathan cum Igbo take over of the Federal Government seemingly to spite the Yoruba was a big factor.
I remember a delegation of Afenifere went to warn Jonathan about the danger of Igbo monopoly of things. This was derided. All these set the stage for SW/NW alignment.
Buhari or just any other person leading the North would have been accepted by the mainstream South West.
People who are uncharitable ignore what Buhari did to deceive. Pastor Bakare followed by Pastor Osinbajo were chosen at different times as running mates.
Buhari started to wear Aso ofi and Adire. He decked Igbo red cap. His wife Aisha put off hijab at the famous Abeokuta rally. A Buhari bedroom was carved out of Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi
I too was taken in. No shame to admit this. Most believed in the good nature and capacity of human beings to change and transform for good, especially for a man above 70 with an eye on legacy
But Buhari beat many people hands down. So we took a bet and we lost big time.
No one person should be singled out for blame. There is no one event or meeting at which the Yoruba decided as one body to follow ACN into the merger with CPC.
There is no incident where Ahmed Tinubu or Dele Momodu or Wole Soyinka placed an AK-47 on anybody’s head to vote for Buhari. It is therefore patently foolish for anyone to pass the buck and blame another person for the way things have turned out. Failure is an orphan.
It is very stupid to disavow personal responsibility for the Buhari debacle. I was at fault in my decision of 2015. I am man enough to know of my being duped.
But I am now liberated from the folly of Nigeria. Oduduwa Region of Nigeria ought to now be the focus. We have tried the Fulani and woefully failed.
Finally, the one man I would like to interrogate is Ahmed Tinubu. What’s making him tick? Does he have blood of dignity flowing in his veins? On looking, what does the mirror show. Is Yemi Osinbajo an intellectual – as defined in the dictionary.
Towards 2023
Only the very naive would expect the NW to give up what should be taken as stolen “Kaya” on the altar of altruism.
It took years of intrigue and deception for the Emirs to work in concert with their military establishment towards the balkanisation of the North to advantage. The original Sokoto State became Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara and new Sokoto States with 15 LGAs divided into 89. Ditto for Kano spinning off Jigawa State, while Kaduna produced Katsina with the many LGAs.
Above is the basis for the siphoning of SS oil and SW VAT. A Revenue Allocation Formula that sucks our energy from the South in favour of the North.
The South yielded to the blackmail of the North in their claim to being educationally disadvantaged. Jubril Aminu singlehandedly brow beat all to institute federal character on us all. The generation of those without WASC, but with only IJMB are now Professors and bosses over their colleagues in the South that went in with Distinctions.
When we glibly call for Restructuring, we are in effect asking the Fulani to donate their privileges that was amased over the years of cunning deceit.
Anyone that expects the Northern elite to just fall down without being pushed ought to have his/her head examined.
The North will never, never yield to Restructuring merely on the account of flowery editorials or press conferences. There has to be war, or a credible threat of it before Conference table of talks can be attractive to parties.
Towards 2023, the North will once again look for an Obasanjo type of Southerner to adopt. A Gbajabiamila of Lagos, an Amosun of Ogun or an Aregbesola of Alimosho will be moulded as being Nationalist in outlook and in favour of Unity and Peace of Nigeria
Akpabio or Okorocha are also suitable for being railroaded into the Villa if the SS is somehow smuggled in the way Jonathan was in 2023.
We have all been made to accept that there is bank of 18 million voters in the NW. So it is likely that APC will be abandoned for Tinubu and Osinbajo as offside tactics in football. I can see the PRP being the Special Vehicle for the North to ride back to power. It would be brazen. But an attempt would be made as being peddled by an El-Rufai.
What to do?
The Yoruba Nation also ought to abandon APC for Tinubu. Our so-called Asiwaju is far gone on a voyage of no return.
A New Special Vehicle has to be created to provide a harmonised political platform for the Omoluabi among us. Those with “DEMO” tendencies in our midst have to be re-schooled or neutralised.
The Yoruba have to re-invent themselves or remain slaves or just perish.
Of course, the Fulani could over-reach themselves, paving the way for a controlled demolition of Nigeria.
It’s a bridge too far to 2023.