The bogey of Yoruba solidarity

Many a time, the Nigerian political class invokes the appeal to tribal leaning of a particular section of the country in canvassing for support. And, once again, this is being deployed to bamboozle the people of Yoruba descent into supporting a particular candidate. This reflects the popular maxim that “when logic fails, emotion sets it”. 

It is public knowledge that Obasanjo made use of this same tactic in the run-up to the 2003 presidential election where he made all the AD governors (except Tinubu) to support him for his re-election bid and also murdered opposition parties with his Government of National Unity (GNU). But, upon re-election, he ensured he mobilised everything he could to see that none of those that supported him based on Yoruba solidarity got a second term, which he had earlier promised them.  

It was only Tinubu that survived the political subterfuge of Obasanjo because he was wise enough to know that there was nothing like “Yoruba solidarity” in the aspiration of Obasanjo. 

Aside that, during his eight-year period as the president of the country, there was nothing notable he did to promote the Yoruba agenda in national politics and the Yoruba region was not included in any infrastructural development. The Lagos-Ibadan expressway he approved was not completed till he left office despite gulping billions. Where then is the Yoruba agenda? 

The rate at which “unity” is being used in a derogatory manner these days is really nauseating. The unity of Yoruba people is not in any way tied to the presidential ambition of any man, and, at no point did we reach a consensus as Yoruba people for the projection of such candidate as “our” candidate, not even in a country as heterogeneous as ours. So, those trying as much as they could to blackmail the Yoruba people into supporting a candidate should know that they are not doing any good for such candidate but they are making efforts to sow seeds of dissension amongst our various nationalities which ordinarily they should make efforts at uniting by making nationalistic statements. 

As much as I know, supporting/promoting Yoruba unity does not come with canvassing for a certain candidate of Yoruba descent, most especially when it is not the case that such a candidate is the only Yoruba person aspiring for the post. We have Omoyele Sowore of the AAC and he is a Yoruba. We have Prince Adewole Adebayo of the SDP and he is a Yoruba. And, if we are to talk of Yoruba solidarity as being projected by those whose only point of campaign is “Yoruba unity”, they would rally support for SDP being the political party MKO Abiola contested on in 1993. 

At this point in our national life both the South and the North must see themselves as equal partners as far as nation-building is concerned and this is what our political gladiators must promote as we approach the 2023 elections. The implication is that Nigeria as a country does not need an Igbo, Ijaw, Hausa, Yoruba, Efik or any tribal president, but a nationalist that will help strengthen the bond of unity amongst the Nigerian people. 

Kazeem Olalekan Israel resides in Ibadan