In a profound and stirring dialogue broadcasted on Arise TV, Professor Banji Akintoye, the esteemed visionary at the helm of Ilana Omo Oodua, emphatically reaffirms the unshakable commitment to the Yorùbá Nation cause. With a steadfast gaze towards international legality, Akintoye invokes Nigeria’s status as a signatory to the United Nations Conventions on self-determination rights, grounding the movement in the realm of lawful pursuit.
Amid swirling discussions of disorderliness and upheaval, Akintoye meticulously delineates the Yoruba Nation movement from any semblance of hooliganism or chaos. He meticulously distances Modupe Onitiri-Abiola from representing the authentic aspirations of Ilana Omo Oodua, accentuating the group’s steadfast dedication to a peaceful path towards secession.
Despite his storied allegiance to Awoism and enduring membership in Afenifere, Akintoye holds fast to his vision of leading the Yoruba people out of Nigeria, unyielding in his determination. With a deliberate tone, he acknowledges the formal communication dispatched to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, awaiting with bated breath a definitive response that would either affirm or repudiate their plea, thereby amplifying the urgency for clarity in the face of uncertainty.
Speaking from his current residence in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, Akintoye delivers a potent message, contending that the Nigerian government retains the authority to pursue legal action against Modupe Onitiri-Abiola and her faction for their purported attempts at seizing power through illicit means, thereby instigating a state of disorder in Oyo State. Grounded in a conviction born of enduring injustice, Akintoye underscores the systemic maltreatment endured by the Yoruba people within Nigeria, a driving force behind his mobilization for secession.
In a resolute response to the interviewer’s probing inquiries, Akintoye invokes Section 2 of the Nigerian Constitution, which proclaims the indissolubility of the country’s sovereignty, as a paradoxical contradiction. With poignant clarity, he references a recent judicial ruling in Nigeria affirming every Nigerian’s inherent right to pursue self-determination, citing this as the foundational mission propelling their cause forward into the annals of history.
