Commercial activities in Akure, the Ondo State capital, were yesterday brought to a halt as hundreds of persons trooped out to join the ‘Ilana Omo Oodua’ rally which took place in the state.
Ilana Omo Oodua, a group agitating for a sovereign Yoruba nation stormed Akure in continuation of its support rally in all the Southwest States.
Vehicular traffic was diverted from the busy Oba Adeshida.
Some traders packed up their wares and closed their shops to avoid hoodlums from looting their goods in case the rally turned violent.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that the rally moved from the Isikan Roundabout to the Oba Adeshida road before proceeding to the Deji of Akure’s palace where Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo who is better known as Sunday Igboho, addressed Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi.
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Igboho said there was no going back on the demand for a Yoruba nation and reiterated his stand that there would be no election in the South-West states in 2023.
He called on all Yoruba people to be united and stopped being slaves to the northerners.
He said, ‘We are in Akure to demand Yoruba Nation and now is the time for the actualization of Yoruba nation of our dream and we are ready to employ all peaceful means to achieve this.
‘We are tired of the oppression, our traditional rulers have been relegated to the background, our political leaders have little or no regard for our traditional institutions, this must be reversed and power should reside with our traditional rulers.
‘We have the resources to develop our Yoruba nation but all these had been siphoned to develop another region but now is the time to save the Yoruba nation from slavery.
‘We have the support of our governors in the southwest, and I want to assure them that this rally across the southwest region will not lead to violence.
‘We are here to receive your blessing and support and we can assure you that with you on our side, all our dreams will come to reality, we stand for the peaceful dissolution of Nigeria, and any violent person during our rallies is a mole planted among us.’
Deji of Akure who was represented by the Edemo of Akure, High Chief Afolabi Fayehun at the rally urged Igboho and his followers to be focused and avoid violence.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK