Yoruba, Igbo Leaders Say Nigeria’s Continued Co-Existence Is No Longer Sustainable

Leaders of Yoruba and Igbo self-determination movements have announced a formal alliance calling for the peaceful de-amalgamation of Nigeria, citing worsening insecurity, deep mistrust among ethnic groups and unresolved historical grievances.

The groups, operating under the banner of the Coalition to De-Amalgamate Nigeria for Security (CODES), said Nigeria’s current political structure has failed to protect lives or guarantee justice, making continued coexistence untenable.

The declaration followed a world conference and press briefing held on Friday via Zoom, where the coalition released a communiqué accusing the Nigerian state of surviving through “systemic denial and institutionalised falsehood” while insecurity and humanitarian crises deepen across the country.

CODES described itself as an alliance of indigenous civil forces and ethnic nationalities committed to non-violent self-determination. It insisted that Nigeria, as presently constituted, is unsustainable and that peaceful separation is now the only viable route to security, justice and lasting peace.

Signatories to the communiqué included Prof. Banji Akintoye, leader of the Oduduwa (Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Movement); Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Sunday Igboho), leader of the Yoruba National Community Defence; Architect George Akinola, deputy leader of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement (Homeland); and Dr. Kayode Emola, deputy leader of the movement in the diaspora.

Igbo signatories included Mazi Tony Nwisi, chairman of the Igbo Global Network–IPOB; Mazi Emmanuel Kanu, Mazi Ositadimma Igenu and Prof. Chinedu Agbodike, all acting under the CODES platform.

Addressing international media, the coalition said the alliance was driven by necessity, not extremism. It said the partnership reflected widespread frustration with insecurity and what it described as persistent state failure. According to the group, its actions are lawful and aimed at restoring dignity, safety and political consent.

CODES said its De-Amalgamation Congress was open to all indigenous nations within Nigeria and constituted a non-violent and lawful exercise of the right to self-determination. It accused successive governments of concealing mass atrocities and misleading both citizens and the international community.

The communiqué argued that insecurity has evolved into a crisis of state legitimacy, where fear has displaced citizenship and accountability has collapsed. It traced Nigeria’s instability to the 1914 colonial amalgamation and decades of post-colonial centralisation imposed without popular consent.

“A state founded without consent cannot endure indefinitely,” the coalition stated, adding that corruption, exclusion and persistent violence have eroded confidence in the federal system.

The group highlighted violence in the Middle Belt, South-East and other regions, alleging state complicity or failure to act against armed groups. It said communities have been displaced from ancestral lands while perpetrators are rarely prosecuted and victims receive little or no support.

CODES described the situation as an existential security crisis marked by terrorism, displacement and selective justice. It condemned what it called the persecution of non-violent self-determination advocates, arguing that while armed groups operate freely, figures such as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Chief Sunday Igboho face sustained state action. The coalition said this selective enforcement has further weakened public trust.

Citing international law, CODES said its demands are grounded in the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Among its demands are international recognition of the Biafra and Oduduwa nations, the release of detainees held solely for self-determination advocacy, an end to the pursuit of Chief Sunday Igboho, and UN-supervised referendums for indigenous nations seeking self-rule. It also called for international investigations into mass killings, alleged state complicity and protection for vulnerable communities.

The coalition stressed that the alliance was not a call to violence. Rather, it described it as a declaration of intent to pursue peaceful separation, arguing that forced unity, silence and repression have failed, leaving self-determination as the only remaining option for lasting peace and regional stability.