Sunday Igboho set for 'peaceful rally' in Lagos amidst security concerns

A self-styled Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has announced his plan to lead a ‘Yoruba Nation’ protest in Lagos.

Mr Igboho said the rally would hold on July 3 at Freedom Park in Ojota. The proposed rally was announced through the acclaimed activist’s spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, on Facebook.

“We are sending a peaceful message to Governor Sanwo-Olu. We do not mind any other person who is saying we should not come to Lagos. Sanwo-Olu is the chief security officer of the land and we are coming to Lagos.

“July 3rd is the most important date; nobody cannot say we should not come to Lagos. It is a peaceful rally.”

Premium Times in the past reported that Mr Igboho’s rally had taken place in Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and the Oyo States. In some cases, police forcefully dispersed the agitators.

The Lagos police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said he is not aware of the rally.

“I am not aware of Sunday Igboho’s planned Lagos rally. When the command is aware, the command will react to that. For now, we are not aware of that,” he said.

But the All Progressives Congress (APC), UK Chapter, has urged Mr Igboho, to shelve the rally. The group, in a statement by its chairman, Phillip Idaewor, argued that the rally might be hijacked by hoodlums to unleash terror on Lagos residents.

“We are not opposed to the ideas of making Nigeria work better for the many and not the few,” the group said in a statement.

“Indeed, our party promised restructuring of Nigeria in our manifesto and it is our view that this remains the best course of action to reclaim the narrative from citizens who now feel alienated both from the government and country.

“Considering the state of insecurity that the government is battling across the country, we feel that the rally is ill-timed.

“No doubt, people have rights all over the world to peaceful protests but the situation in the country is such that all efforts must be geared to stop any gathering or association that may further worsen the security situation in the country.

“We urge Yoruba youths and supporters of Ighoho to encourage him to pull back on this mission as it may lead to loss of lives and destruction of property. Our main concern is about our Lagos,” part of the group’s statement read.

“We believe in one Nigeria and we must not allow those calling for its breakup to tear us apart irrespective of challenges currently faced by the nation. This is the historical beckoning to Nigerians to keep working hard towards a united country.

“As diaspora Nigerians, we know from the experience of mixing with people from around the world, that Africa more than ever before, needs Nigeria to become a strong, stable and prosperous country.”

Yoruba Nation agitation is a political ideology to realise the independence and sovereign country for the Yoruba race in Nigeria but many political leaders in the region have rejected and kicked against the idea.

Former Governor of Lagos, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, Bisi Akande and all leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-West, in a meeting in Lagos last month, strongly opposed the agitation.

They called for ethnic and religious unity instead of a divided nation.