Coup Calls: South-West Will Secede if Tinubu’s Government is Overthrown, Warn 100 Yoruba Groups

In a strong rebuke to recent calls for military intervention in Nigeria, over 100 South-West organizations, under the banner of the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movement (AYDM), have issued a stern warning against any attempts to overthrow the current government. The groups cautioned that any such move could push the Yoruba people towards secession.

Rising from the Pan-Yoruba-Itsekiri Global Summit, themed ‘Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria: The Role of Non-state Actors,’ the coalition expressed deep concern over the increasing agitation for a military takeover, especially from certain regions of the country. The AYDM’s communiqué highlighted the historical challenges Nigeria has faced but criticized those advocating for a return to military rule.

“We are alarmed that some people, in their desperation, are calling for military rule,” the communiqué stated. “Let those who plan a return to dictatorship know that there will be no military rule in the entire Oduduwa territories. Our people will resist with all our strength, even if it means armed resistance.”

The AYDM emphasized that the forceful amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 has stunted the potential of the Yoruba people, arguing that secession might be the only viable alternative to continued violence, killings, and potential coups.

The statement also pointed fingers at those calling for military intervention, accusing them of being the same individuals responsible for Nigeria’s systemic decay and ethnic persecution. The AYDM accused these elements of staying silent during the previous administration’s eight-year rule but now agitating for a coup less than a year into the new government.

The groups further alleged that advocates of military rule are driven by parochial interests, aiming to control the country at all costs. They warned that any attempt to overthrow the democratic system would be met with staunch resistance from the Yoruba people, potentially leading to the secession of the South-West region.