Yoruba nation self-determination struggle group, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), has said it had resolved to disrupt the 2022 gubernatorial election in Ekiti and Osun States because of the refusal of the federal government to carry out a referendum to determine the sovereignty of each region that made up the country.
In a statement to BusinessDay Sunday night, signed by Maxwell Adeleye, the group publicity secretary, the group said that all necessary measures would be adopted to ensure that the polls in both states do not hold, saying the constitution which the election rest upon had already been declared invalid by the United Nations and African Union Charters on People’s Right.
The group further distanced itself and Sunday Adeyemo popularly called Sunday Igboho from the claims made by Pelumi Olajengbesi, a counsel to the Yoruba nation agitator, that the election would hold because they were negotiating with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group stressed that they had concluded plans to ensure that election does not hold in any state in the SouthWest beginning from this year.
According to the statement, “For clarity purpose, the decision to boycott and do everything within the ambits of the law to stop the Osun and Ekiti States 2022 Governorship Elections was taken by the Congress of Ilana Omo Oodua on 22nd December 2021.
Read also: INEC wants N305bn for 2023 elections
“Our argument is that with a valid constitution Force Majeure and notice of constitution grievance already declared in line with the United Nations and African Union Charters on People’s Right which Nigeria is a signatory to 1999 constitution which the Nigerian Government wants to use to conduct the Osun and Ekiti State Elections has already been invalidated.”
“Notwithstanding our position, we resolved to approach the courts within the jurisdictions of Ekiti and Osun States to put our democracy into test by demanding a declaration that there’s indeed a constitutional dispute in Nigeria and as such, the elections in Ekiti and Osun States should not be conducted, hence the basis of the declaration from Professor Banji Akintoye that there‘ll be no Governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti States in 2022.
“The general public should take note that an Osun State Politician/Abuja based Legal Practitioner, Pelumi Olajengbesi does not speak for Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho nor is he involved in the Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Struggle.
“The work of Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi which the Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Struggle hired and paid him for ends at defending the rights of the oppressed aides and relations of Ighoho arrested by the DSS on July 1st, 2021 in Ibadan, Oyo-State at an Abuja High Court.
“Anything Olajengbesi says afterward should be considered as his personal opinion and not that of Ighoho. As our Lawyer, he is supposed to speak to the public on our instruction.
“We want to state very expressly that the so-called happy new year message is a personal opinion of Pelumi Olajengbesi, and not the position of Ighoho”.
