We had the honor to interview Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè who gave us his observations regarding the new Nigerian President.
The Cotonou Times: Nigeria has a new President since the past three weeks, how do you assess the Tinubu Administration ?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: You know that he is not only the President of Nigeria; he is also a Yoruba man. We are happy that in spite of all the noise and obstruction, he won he has become the President. Thanks God. The decisions that he has been making so far are good. I do not think that any other President has taken the kind of steps he has taken so far which are leaving a great deal of hope and expectations. We hope that he will be able to address the problems facing the Yoruba people in Nigeria.
The Cotonou Times: Two among the Presidential candidates namely Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi claim that the February 25th presidential elections were rigged by INEC and filed a petition before the Presidential Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja. For over a month and half now, the proceedings have started and do you think that Nigeria’s Judiciary can cancel the results of the presidential elections proclaimed by INEC?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Ye, the results could be cancelled if the judges are convinced that there was rigging , but it is not yet the case. Our response is as follows: First we hope that the results will not be cancelled. Second the authorities should remember that all the elections held in Nigeria since 1959 with the exception of the 1993 Presidential election have been rigged. The British who rigged the 1959 election have planted the seed of “rigging” in Nigeria. There is always rigging in Nigeria’s elections.
The Cotonou Times : Many Yoruba people are happy as one of them became President. Many of them think that “Yoruba Nation” is no longer necessary because our “son” is in power. How do you react to that?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: What you are suggesting in your question whereby “Yoruba Nation” is no longer required because our son is President does not correspond to the reality. Yoruba people are “fed up” with Nigeria . Young people, old people , the educated, the non-educated are “disgruntled”. After eight years he(Tinubu) will leave power and we will return to the suffering that we have been experiencing. The Fulani herdsmen are continuing their attacks up till today. People were killed yesterday night in Ìsẹ́yìn, in Kwara, in Kogi, in Ògùn State. The herdsmen have declared that they want to conquer and destroy us.
The Cotonou Times: At the beginning of 2023 in an interview that you granted to Golfe TV Africa, you said that the following “our self-determination struggle is not directed against a particular ethnic group, we are trying to free ourselves from a country(Nigeria) which has collapsed”. Do you sincerely believe that Nigeria has collapsed?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: You see the politicians will not agree. I do not want to enter into details, because our son is the President, but the reality is that Nigeria “has expired”. There is no tribe in Nigeria which can say that they have “faith” in Nigeria. What else do you want? The people from the Middle Belt are trying to establish their own country, the South South people (The “Ijaw”) are moving towards self-determination, same thing for the Igbo people. The Yorubas are also following this path with the wisdom given to them by God. Therefore who is remaining in Nigeria? There is no more Nigeria, Nigeria has collapsed and expired!
The Cotonou Times: As we speak many Yoruba people and Yoruba politicians are looking for “appointments” in the “Tinubu Administration”. Tinubu himself promised that Nigeria will remain one during his tenure. Be kind to let us know how do you intend to negotiate with the Nigeria Government?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: We will not do anything that hurts our son or which frightens him. We will not do anything that upsets him. But we will not abandon our self-determination struggle as well as our prayers to leave Nigeria
The Cotonou Times: But leaving Nigeria is not something that you wish to do “immediately” anymore, isn’t?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Only God knows the meaning of “immediately”. We cannot say that we wish to do it immediately, we wish so we go before God, you kneel , you ask him that you want this , that the Yorubas want this, it is God who knows when he answers you, human beings, cannot decide that it will be tomorrow or in 25 years.
The Cotonou Times: How do you react to the increase of fuel which is affecting the Yoruba people of Nigeria?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: You see, fuel subsidy should have been removed a long time ago, because only the rich people were benefitting, it was not benefitting ordinary Nigerians. The fact that Tinubu removed it is a good thing; we just need to give him some time so that he can implement policies that favor poor people
The Cotonou Times: What about Olóyè Májásọlá popularly known as “Sunday Igboho” . Given the fact that you and the new Nigerian Administration enjoy cordial relations, what prevents his return to his homeland?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: There are no impediments for his return. His “senior brother”(Tinubu) now controls the Government, there are absolutely no obstacles for his return, there are just a few legal matters to resolve in host country.
The Cotonou Times: A last word?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: I am receive so many requests from Yoruba people who are home and abroad, some are educated others are not , some are our group members, others not, all of them are saying that they are happy as we could not imagine that Tinubu would be elected. They said that we have to greet him . He should be assured that we are ready to talk to him from time to time in order to do what he expects from us . He should also think about the development of the Yoruba people. And since himself is a Yoruba person, who contributed to the Yoruba struggle during NADECO, he should know what we want and he should not forget us.
