The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has spoken in favor of true federalism within Nigeria and has opposed the concept of separating a Yoruba nation from it.
The group reaffirmed its support for a united Nigeria in a statement issued on Sunday, highlighting the necessity of a reorganized federal government.
“We have perused the document on the position of YSDM on the state of the nation and their views for the Yoruba race to be separated from Nigeria.
“The Yoruba Council of Elders remains firm in its position that the entity called and known as Nigeria should remain as one Nigeria,” part of the statement read.
The YCE stressed that the majority of Yoruba people are opposed to secession while acknowledging that there are general feelings of marginalization among them as a result of the current federal framework.
Rather, they favored going back to the level of regional autonomy that Nigeria's founding fathers had in mind.
The YCE stressed that the majority of Yoruba people are opposed to secession while acknowledging that there are general feelings of marginalization among them as a result of the current federal framework. Rather, they favored going back to the level of regional autonomy that Nigeria's founding fathers had in mind.
The council emphasized that it is in favor of a reorganized Nigeria in which the various states function autonomously under the framework of a single central government.
They likened their plan to the federal system of the United States, in which the states enjoy a great deal of autonomy.