The Committee for the Actualisation of Yoruba Self-Determination (CAYSD) has called on the National Assembly to convene talks among Nigeria's constituent ethnic nationalities on the country's future, including the possibility of an independent Yoruba nation. In a statement signed by 43 prominent Yoruba leaders and stakeholders, CAYSD said Nigeria's longstanding political crisis requires fundamental questions about the country's constitutional arrangement to be addressed. The group emphasized that the 4-year cycle of elections will not address the subsisting 'federal governance' structure.
CAYSD's statement, titled "For the Good of All: It's Time to Convene Sovereignty Talks," was issued on behalf of the group by its director, Prof Ademola Araoye. The statement urged the leadership of the Nigerian state, represented by the National Assembly and led by Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, to facilitate talks between the Yorubas and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. The group seeks to discuss Nigeria's current state and its desired future. CAYSD's Yoruba position has traditionally centered on restructuring Nigeria into a genuine federation with substantial autonomy for its constituent peoples and regions.
However, repeated failures have prompted CAYSD to change its approach and adopt a new modality that places peaceful self-determination, including the possibility of an Oduduwa Nation, on the table for public discussion and constitutional engagement. The group stressed that its initiative will be peaceful, rejecting violence, intimidation, and attacks on public institutions. Instead, CAYSD will rely on civic consultation, public enlightenment, scholarship, constitutional advocacy, dialogue, and negotiation with other nationalities.
CAYSD also notified President Bola Tinubu of a "new phase of Oduduwa/Yoruba constitutional engagement with Nigeria," commencing an organized, legal, peaceful, and democratic examination of self-determination and the creation of a Yoruba Nation. The group argued that the question of self-determination should be addressed through constitutional negotiation and democratic consent, and that peaceful discussion of self-determination should not be treated as hostility to Nigeria.
The statement was signed by prominent Yoruba leaders, including Prof Banji Akintoye, Senator Femi Okurounmu, Chief John Oni, and Prof Oluyemisi Akinyemiju, among others. CAYSD's call for sovereignty talks comes as Nigeria celebrates its 66th anniversary. The group's initiative has sparked mixed reactions, with some Nigerians supporting the call for self-determination and others opposing it.
Senator Godswill Akpabio has urged Nigerians to renew their faith in the country, while warning politicians not to divide Nigerians for electoral victory. The issue of self-determination has been a longstanding debate in Nigeria, with various groups advocating for greater autonomy or independence. CAYSD's move is seen as a significant development in the country's ongoing discussions about its future.
The Yoruba group's demand for sovereignty talks with the National Assembly is a call for a national conversation about Nigeria's future and the possibility of an independent Yoruba nation. The outcome of these talks remains uncertain, but CAYSD's initiative has brought the issue of self-determination to the forefront of Nigeria's national discourse.
Key points
- The Committee for the Actualisation of Yoruba Self-Determination demands sovereignty talks with the National Assembly.
- CAYSD seeks to discuss the possibility of an independent Yoruba nation.
- The group's initiative has sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians.
