The umbrella body for Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, has said President Muhammadu Buhari's Independence Day speech further proves that he is for the northern region only.
The group made this known in a statement issued on Friday by Maxwell Adeleye, its Communications Secretary.
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Adeleye, who was writing on behalf of the leader of the group, Prof Banji Akintoye, said Buhari had simply chosen to come after a law-abiding citizen such as Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) while refusing to name and expose terrorists.
He also noted the president's claims that a serving member of the House of Assembly is financing the struggle for self-determination is untrue as Yoruba both home and abroad contributed their hard-earned resources to sustain the agitation.
He said even if there was a single iota of truth in that, such a person ought to be celebrated.
The statement reads, "Buhari has further exposed himself as the President of the North, and not that of Nigerians. He has succeeded in emboldening us more to fight on in the agitation for Self-Determination for the Yoruba people.
“It is total nonsense that Buhari is bothered about a Sunday Igboho who is engaged in a lawful agitation, endorsed and confirmed now by a court of competent jurisdiction, United Nations and African Union Declarations on Peoples and Human Rights while he (Buhari) looked away on the murderous activities of the Fulani Herdsmen Terrorists and Miyyetii Allah in the South and Middle-Belt Territories.
"Mr. President said an unknown Sitting Member of the Nigerian National Assembly is involved in the funding of Sunday Igboho. That's absolute mendacity. The Yoruba people from villages to villages to the Diaspora are contributing their hard-earned resources to oil and sustain the agitation.
"Our appeal to Buhari is to, as a matter of urgency, name the invincible national assembly member so that the Yoruba People can celebrate him because he is supporting a NOBLE STRUGGLE. If indeed such a National Assembly member exists unknown to us in Ilana Omo Oodua, we say very expressly that he is a hero that has chosen to stand by a legitimate, legal and constitutional agitation. Therefore, Buhari is merely ground-standing.
"As Buhari name the unknown National Assembly Member, our utmost appeal to him is to help Nigerians in naming those funding murderous Fulani Herdsmen and Boko Haram terrorists oppressing, maiming, killing, and raping his people in the North and the people of the South and Middle-Belt with impunity.
"The entire speech of Buhari symbolizes hopelessness and chaos. It was a declaration of war against the peace-loving people of Yoruba Land. Our message to him is that we shall not be intimidated.
“We shall remain loyal and committed to our struggle for an Independent Yoruba Nation. We shall be undaunted. No Oppressor has ever triumphed over the people. In this struggle, we shall continue to be legitimate and peaceful. It is amandla awetu, nothing shall discourage us.”