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MANY a time, the Nigerian political class invokes the appeal to the tribal leanings of a particular section of the country in canvassing for support. And, once again, this is being deployed to bamboozle the people of Yoruba descent into supporting a particular candidate. Meanwhile, this reflects the popular maxim that “when logic fails, emotion sets in”. It is public knowledge that Olusegun Obasanjo made use of this same antic in the run-up to the 2003 presidential election where he made all the Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors except Bola Tinubu supported his re-election bid and also weakened opposition parties with his Government of National Unity (GNU). But upon re-election, he ensured he mobilised everything he could to see that none of those that supported him based on Yoruba solidarity got a second term, which he had earlier promised them. Meanwhile, it was only Tinubu that survived the political subterfuge of Obasanjo because he was wise enough to know that there was nothing like “Yoruba solidarity” in the aspiration of Obasanjo.
Asides that, during his eight-year period as the president of the country, there was nothing notable he did to the promotion of the Yoruba agenda in national politics and the Yoruba region was not included in any infrastructure development. The Lagos-Ibadan expressway he approved was not completed till he left office despite gulping billions in approval. Where then is the Yoruba agenda? The rate at which “unity” is being used in a derogatory manner these days is really nauseating. The unity of Yoruba people is not in any way tied to the presidential ambition of any man, and, at no point did we reach a consensus as Yoruba people for the projection of such candidate as “our” candidate, not even in a country as heterogeneous as ours. So, those trying as much as they could to blackmail the Yoruba people into supporting a candidate should know that they are not doing any good for such a candidate but they are making efforts to sow seeds of dissension amongst our various nationalities when ordinarily they should make efforts at uniting by making nationalistic statements.
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As much as I know, supporting/promoting Yoruba unity does not come with canvassing for a certain candidate of Yoruba descent, most especially when it is not the case that such a candidate is the only Yoruba person aspiring for the post. We have Omoyele Sowore of the AAC and he is a Yoruba. We have Prince Adewole Adebayo of the SDP and he is a Yoruba. And if we are to talk of Yoruba solidarity as being projected by some disgruntled elements in the society whose only point of campaign is “Yoruba unity”, they would rally support for the SDP being the political party on whose platform the late MKO Abiola contested election in 1993. At this point in our national life, most especially when considering the fact that the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has so much battered the little sense of nationalism left in an average Nigerian person, both the South and the North must see themselves as equal partners as far as nation-building is concerned and this is what our political gladiators must promote as we approach the 2023 election. The implication is that Nigeria as a country does not need an Igbo, Ijaw, Hausa, Yoruba, Efik or any tribal president but a nationalist that will help strengthen the bond of unity amongst the Nigerian people.
In doing this, only a truly federal constitution can help to preserve the identities of each of the ethnic groups making up the country. The American Union that is a model today is a federation of close to 50 states with each state having its own constitution. And in preserving, maintaining, sustaining and promoting national unity (not sectional unity as is intended), Nigeria must be restructured to reflect the yearnings of each ethnic group and accommodate the uniqueness of each. And, thankfully, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has explicitly stated in his policy document that each state will be granted total freedom as constituent units in the Federation to perform. With the introduction of ‘true federalism’, we will be building and strengthening national unity and also be evolving as one of the mightiest republics on earth. As we approach 2023, no governor should think of confusing the electorate, most especially party faithful, by subtly rallying support for a particular candidate based on “Yoruba solidarity” while promoting themselves from another party. And, no governor should think of having the votes of the electorates in a bowl to be served as dinner for anyone.
- Israel writes in from Ibadan.
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