Yoruba group in Diaspora warns against holding 2023 elections

• Restates commitment to self-determination struggle
• Stakeholders endorse yearly Yoruba language contest in secondary schools

A South-West Diaspora group, Yoruba One Voice (YOV), yesterday, said the 2023 general elections were not on its agenda but rather insisted on continued agitation for self-determination of the Yoruba nation.

The group said Yoruba in the Diaspora would continue to seek international support in the most conventional and intellectual manner to drive home their self-determination agenda.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Omoladun Orolugbagbe, the group said various challenges in the country had shown that Nigeria is more confused now and conducting another general election next year would compound the situation.

The group vowed it would continue to clamour for self-determination, saying that it is now obvious that the 2023 elections could not offer the needed solution to the myriad of problems confronting the country.

YOV also harped on the high spate of insecurity, huge foreign debt profiles, unstable economy, unending political logjam and total disregard for human rights and international law as reasons for agitations from Nigerians, mostly those in the Diaspora.

The group said the Yoruba in the Diaspora were ready to agitate for self-determination, irrespective of the government’s attempt to silence dissenting voices. adding: “We are the only ones that will decide the future of the next generation of people of our race.”

IN another development, the commissioners for education in the South-West, leaders of Yoruba language practitioners’ associations and book publishers have approved the proposed yearly Yoruba language contest among secondary schools in the region.

The programme, being organised by the Yoruba World Centre, in conjunction with Oodua Investment Company Limited and the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission held at the Cocoa House office of DAWN and hosted by the Oodua Group, necessitated the meeting of the stakeholders.

In a statement, Alaroye Director of Administration and Corporate Affairs, Gabriel Sosanya, said the contest would reclaim the youths from the grip of foreign language, and represent the language as a tool for regional and national development.

In his welcome address, Director-General of DAWN Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye, told participants that the time to save the Yoruba language is now, and all should work towards its revival.

Also, the Group Managing Director of Oodua, Mr. Adewale Raji, said that the focus of the group had always been looking for ways to bring all-around development to the region.