Oduduwa Republic: Afenifere, OPC give reasons for agitation

Two main Pan-Yoruba groups, Afenifere and Oodua People’s Congress, have said those clamouring for the creation of Oodua Republic are only reacting to the non-adherence to the call for the restructuring of the country by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Point quoted the Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, as saying the agitation was coming out of what he described as the frustration with the too many cracks on the Nigerian wall.

“The agitation for the creation of Oduduwa Republic is coming out of the frustration with the too many cracks on the Nigerian wall that made the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, to say the same day that Nigeria may break up,” he said.

“Afenifere has been demanding the restructuring of Nigeria, which they have ignored,” Odumakin added.

On its part, the OPC said the agitation by so many self determination groups for the creation of Oduduwa Republic was borne out of nepotism and the seeming incapability of the current Federal Government to eradicate poverty and reduce the high rate of insecurity across Nigeria.

The spokesperson of OPC, Bunmi Fasehun, who is also a nephew of the founder of the Congress, Late Fredrick Fasehun, told The Point that one of the objective of the OPC was to protect the interest and future of Yoruba sons and daughters, both at home and abroad.

“Because of the rumbling in the nation, a lot of self determination groups are in support of the creation of Oduduwa Republic. Of course, Dr. Fasehun, may God bless his memory, as you know, was at the forefront of true federalism and restructuring. If he were to be alive today, he would have called for Oodua nation,” he noted.

He said OPC, as an organisation, would not blame those who were agitating for Oduduwa Republic because the government had refused to heed the earlier call for restructuring.

“The song has changed. Before it was restructuring, true federalism. But because the government of the day is not doing anything against poverty and insecurity all over the nation, that is why you see these people calling for the creation of Oduduwa Republic,” he stated.