Yorubas in Diaspora berate Presidency’s position on restructuring

A coalition of Yoruba groups and organisations in the Diaspora, Yoruba One Voice, has decried the disposition of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to the raging debate over restructuring, describing it as “retrogressive and insensitive.”

The coalition warned that the Yoruba nation may be pushed to secede from Nigeria any time soon.

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This is as the coalition in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr Zacheus Somorin, appealed to the members and organizations in the international community to urgently commence the framework for the review of the country’s structure for peaceful dissolution.

YOV was reacting to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, that Buhari will not succumb to threats and undue pressure over the subject of restructuring.

According to YOV, the swiftness by which the Presidency through Shehu jettisoned the nationwide demand for restructuring in Nigeria is retrogressive, callous, and uncouth.

The Diaspora group stated that despite the fact that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Buhari rode on the wings of restructuring in 2015 to earn the votes of Nigerians, it stressed that the attitude and body language of President Buhari shows that he is averse to restructuring.

He said, “We expected that this administration will collate, digest and present assurances to Nigerians that President Buhari will do the needful by rebuilding the country towards inclusivity on the altar of restructuring, but the regime had other ideas wrapped in uncouth language. But Nigerians will not be cowed or shout down from making their points even in the face of threats.

“For a nation of over 200 million people, the incidents of the past weeks should have taught us that if any civil war happens in Nigeria, the casualties will be huge.

“That is why we are urging the United Nations, the UK, the US Congress, the Commonwealth , the British Parliament, among other international bodies, to urgently superintend over the peaceful dissolution of the country.”