2023 polls won’t hold in Southwest — Sunday Igboho

••••As rain, thunderstorm disrupt Yoruba Nation rally in Osogbo

The agitators under the aegis of Omo Oduduwa United, yesterday stormed the streets in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, to demand for a Yoruba nation from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The agitators converged on November 27 bridge via NECO office in Osogbo as heavily armed security operatives; Department of State Service (DSS), the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Joint Task Force (JTF), Amotekun and local vigilantes took charge of Oke-Fia, Old Garage, Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Alekuwodo, Fagbewesa, Ola-Iya Intersections and Fakunle areas.

The agitators marched from November 27 Bridge, through Ogo-Oluwa, Fakunle, Odi-Olowo, and Freedom Park with placards and banners; chanting secession songs and distributing handbills to the people along the road.

One of the leaders of Yoruba nation agitators, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, arrived Osogbo from Oyo State at 1:40 PM and went straight to where the agitators were demonstrating at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park. Igboho got to the venue at 2:01 PM to address the agitators. He was addressing the agitators when the scorching sunny weather turned cloudy at 2:25 PM. He therefore hurriedly addressed his supporters standing on top of a vehicle. When other leaders wanted to address the agitators, heavy rain started and dispersed supporters from the venue.

Also, thunderstorms made it difficult for supporters to stand at the venue. They therefore took cover at any available shed.

They could not converge again as our correspondent learnt that Sunday Igboho went to visit the Ataoja of Osogbo in his palace.

Earlier, leaders of the Yoruba nation agitators had declared that they would try all within their reach not to allow the 2023 general election to hold. They implored supporters to desist from collecting incentives from politicians again.

One of the leaders, Dr. Akin Adejuwon of the Department of Cultural Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, held that “Yoruba has an intimidating population that no other tribe can rival.”

Similarly, Sunday Igboho, in his address, said, “Nobody can cause me to fret and nobody can arrest me. We don’t need any government again; we want the Yoruba nation; what they have done is enough; we don’t want to have anything to do with one Nigeria again. We don’t need any politician again; there shall be no election in Yoruba land in 2023.

“The Federal Government thought we were joking about leaving Nigeria; we are determined to achieve the Yoruba nation. We are blessed with crude oil, gold, precious stones and other mineral resources; unfortunately, the Fulanis are getting the money and are using it for the north; impoverishing and enslaving the Yorubas. They even made a train from their region to the Niger Republic. We are no longer slaves.

“Yoruba must unite to end this impunity. We must be at peace with each other to end this suffering. Some government officials are thieves; they are cheating us. They even lied that the Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola; had directed us not to come to his state. Oyetola is a good man. He gave us permission and prevented miscreants from infiltrating our rally,” he said.

Also, he warned that there would be mass protests if the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government refuse to release the members of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) held in connection with the arrest of Isikilu Wakili.

“The OPC members that were held in connection with the arrest of Isikilu Wakili must be released; else there will be a massive protest in the country. I give the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government one week ultimatum to release the OPC members,” he warned.