Confusion as OPC’s faction distances self from Oduduwa Republic agitation

Confusion has continue to trail the calls for a sovereign nation of the Yoruba away from Nigeria.

A faction of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has distanced itself from the agitation saying it is more concerned about restructuring of Nigeria.

IDOMA VOICE recalls that the Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, had declared that his state is not part of Oduduwa Republic.

The group’s President, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, who belongs to the late Frederick Fasehun’s faction, made the declaration during his inauguration as the new leader.

Oluwabunmi, son of Fasehun, the founder of OPC, also emerged as National Secretary at the national convention of the organisation.

Afolabi, while clarifying the group’s position on agitation for the Oduduwa Republic, in his acceptance speech, said: “Let me quickly address the matter of those agitating for a separate Yoruba nation.

“I was Deputy President to Dr. Fasehun for over eight years. Along with many people, we undertook several projects, programmes and journeys together with Baba. In his lifetime, Dr. Frederick Fasehun never spoke to us about Yoruba independence.

“Anyone who tells you Baba ever said so is a liar. What Dr. Fasehun was concerned about was for Nigeria to hold the sovereign national conference (SNC). Baba preached the gospel of restructuring in which the states or regions will enjoy devolution of power and resource control. That is where OPC stands. He also urged members to operate within the confines of the law in their zeal to tackle insecurity.”

The agitation for the Oduduwa Republic is popular in the South-West region following the insecurity challenges that have bewildered the entire country, in which the killer Fulani herders incessantly engaged in killing farmers, destroying farmlands, raping women and displacing people from their lands in the South-West.