A coalition of pan-Yoruba and civil society groups, Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movement (AYDM), yesterday, unveiled a campaign to generate 40 million voters in the South West region, as well as Delta and Edo states in the 2023 general elections.
The group also promised to involve all Yoruba in Kwara and Kogi states in the North Central geopolitical zone in the electoral process to vote in a particular direction in the 2023 polls.
In a communiqué issued by one of its leaders, Popoola Ajayi, the coalition said the initiative was driven by the quest to explore the political strength of the Yoruba nation and to show the South West was capable of influencing the country’s electoral outcome considering its numerical strength.
Although, the coalition said its campaign was not affiliated to any political party, it was aimed at encouraging the Yoruba and people of the old Western Region to get what they want using their population strength as a bargaining power.
The AYDM, a coalition of 88 civil society and Pan Yoruba groups, which was launched in Lagos in December 2021, said the project would enable the Yoruba to further assert its strength and dominion, as well as open up understanding of its actual population.
“Population is strength. For over 25 years, the numerical strength of the Yoruba people and the old Western Region, including Edo, Delta, Kwara and Kogi states have been undermined. It began during the 1952 Census conducted by colonial forces that awarded figures to nationality groups based on their vested interests,” it said.
The group pointed out that in the 1980s, the South West produced millions of voters, but the figures have continued to diminish in arithmetic progression, adding that the underestimation of the South West voting strength was partly responsible for the inability of the people to take over power and run the country to address the agitations of various groups.
It lamented that in the 2015 elections, less than 20 per cent of eligible voters in the region registered, which dropped to 18 per cent in 2019, while the number of eligible voters was about 17 per cent.
“This has placed the region at a disadvantaged position. It is ridiculous that Lagos State, with a population of over 18 million and 10 million eligible voters recorded less than 1.8 million votes in 2019.
“If that continues, it will be difficult for politicians to mobilise the people to obtain voter cards and the best option is a mobilisation project driven by non-state actors, who enjoy the trust of the organisation,” it added.
