The agitation for a sovereign Yoruba Nation in Nigeria may not have been aborted as one of the groups championing the agitation, Yoruba Self Determination Movement(YSDM), said it would not be distracted by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s regionalism and restructuring programme.

In a statement signed by the General Secretary of the group, Moses Abiodun Ojo, after an online press briefing on Wednesday, he said nothing would sway them from their vision.

He said the group is absolutely resolute and strict in their desire for a sovereign Yoruba Nation separate from Nigeria.

In the statement entitled: ‘The Deadly Distraction of Regionalism,” the group said: “a sovereign Yoruba Nation is the only solution to build the prosperous nation of their dreams that would secure their borders, homeland and protect their people and heritage.

“Let me say here that the leadership of the YSDM is actively engaged in some diplomatic moves with some well-meaning stakeholders of our struggle.

“The reasonable suggestion for each ethnic nationality to retain their rights to self-determination as discussed by the apostles of regionalism may be an interesting idea.”

Reassuring the Yoruba people that Yoruba self-determination struggle is on course and moving surely towards its victorious goal, Ojo called on the Yoruba people to make conscious efforts not to be fooled yet again, no matter what color the chameleon may wear.

He said: “Let us be wise and be unified against the enemies within. Let us be wise and unified in the quest for the ultimate good, success and prosperity of our Yoruba nation.

“So now, we are confronted by a new antic by some former disciples of the Yoruba Nation’s self-determination struggle. These people have now put on their political hats to promote this distraction called Regionalism or Restructuring.

“Probably, the Federal government of Nigeria ’s carrots of fourteen new states to be created in Nigeria is getting some of our politicians salivating. It does not matter to these politicians that Regionalism negates the Yoruba sovereign Nation, the sovereign nation that they were promoting until only yesterday.

“The campaign of regionalism is now, suddenly, their tool of choice to deceive and fool our innocent people. It is unpatriotic and thoughtless for greedy politicians, who until yesterday were given important roles in the Yoruba Nation struggle, who until yesterday were singing songs of the Yoruba self-determination struggle, to now face our people and ask to be accepted as captains of a sudden new venture of saving Nigeria intact.

“The Yoruba Self Determination Movement (YSDM), under the leadership of Emeritus Professor, Banji Akintoye, is issuing a public statement on the deadly distraction that the new campaign of Regionalism poses to the continued existence of the Yoruba race.

“Given recent developments in the political theater in Nigeria and their intended impact on the Yoruba nation, it is urgently necessary for our Yoruba people to receive from the Yoruba Self-determination Movement an official policy statement that is clear and unambiguous.”