IGBOZURUOKE MEDIA

The Yoruba Revolutionary Movement (YOREM) has criticised the recent political move by Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, following his decision to align with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Yoruba movement questioned whether his action represents deception or outright betrayal of the Yoruba self-determination struggle.

In a statement signed by the National Coordinator and Convener of YOREM, Mekunnu Koya, Wale Balogun, the group said Igboho’s political shift had sent shockwaves across sections of the Yoruba nationalist movement.

The organisation raised a direct question about the current political character of the agitator.

“How Sunday Igboho himself should be politically characterised today?” the group asked.

“Should his decision to abandon the Yoruba Nation agitation and openly align himself with the APC be interpreted as ‘eke’ (deception)? Or ọdalẹ (betrayal)? Or perhaps a combination of both?”

The group argued that liberation struggles cannot be built around personalities, warning that movements driven by emotional reactions or hero worship are vulnerable to manipulation and eventual collapse.

According to YOREM, the agitation for Yoruba self-determination predates Igboho and will continue long after him.

“The Yoruba struggle for self-determination is not an event. It is a historical process rooted in the quest for dignity, autonomy, and justice. It did not begin with Sunday Igboho. And it will certainly not end with him.”

The group said Igboho’s declaration that he had joined the ruling party came as a surprise to many followers who had embraced his populist rhetoric during the height of the Yoruba Nation agitation.

However, the organisation noted that those who had carefully studied the history and ideological trajectory of the movement since the 1990s should not be surprised.

According to the statement, “The recent declaration by Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, that he has joined the APC has sent shockwaves through sections of the Yoruba self-determination movement.

“To many who were swept away by the emotional fervour of his populist rhetoric, the announcement appears astonishing. Yet for those who have carefully studied the political history of Yoruba nationalist agitation and the ideological trajectory of the struggle since the mid-1990s, this development should hardly be surprising.”

The group warned that liberation movements across the world have historically suffered setbacks whenever collective struggles become personalised around individuals rather than institutions and ideology.

According to YOREM, the rapid rise of Igboho within the agitation strengthened a culture of personality worship in parts of the movement.

“At a certain stage, sections of the movement began projecting him not merely as a participant in the struggle but as its singular embodiment,” the group said.

“Some followers even elevated him to mystical status, hailing him as Oosha and presenting him as a messianic figure whose personal bravery would deliver Yoruba independence.”

The statement noted that such narratives marginalised long-standing activists who had been involved in the struggle for decades.

Veterans such as Gani Adams and other early campaigners who sustained the agitation during more dangerous political periods were, according to the group, dismissed or labelled traitors by newer supporters.

The group traced the roots of the personality-driven culture to the factionalisation of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), where it said sycophantic organisational habits gradually emerged.

“Within certain factions, the ritualised chanting of ‘Oodua!’ whenever a leader’s name was mentioned slowly produced a climate in which leadership authority appeared almost sacred and immune from criticism,” they said.

It added that the early leadership culture of the OPC had been more collegial, with comrades engaging in open debate and strategic disagreements.

The organisation also reflected on the later emergence of historian and nationalist leader Banji Akintoye, whose involvement helped revive the movement and expand its international visibility.

Through platforms such as the Yoruba World Congress, Ilana Omo Oodua and the Yoruba Self Determination Movement (YSDM), the agitation gained renewed ideological articulation and diaspora mobilisation.

However, YOREM argued that even during this renewed phase, the strategic mistake of elevating Igboho as the central symbol of the struggle resurfaced.

“At times, even well-intentioned public statements by Professor Akintoye appeared to reinforce this perception, consciously deepening the narrative that Igboho was the indispensable engine of the movement,” the group said.

It added that this narrative overshadowed the contributions of earlier activists including Taiwo Otitolaye, Evangelist Kunle Adesokan, Professor Femi Obayori, Seyi Adesanya and journalist Richard Akinnola, among others.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to the creation of an independent Oodua Republic, stating that the destiny of the Yoruba people cannot be outsourced to politicians within the Nigerian state.

“Our minimum and non-negotiable demand remains clear: the emergence of a self-governing Oodua Republic.

“The responsibility for the realisation of the Oodua Republic rests collectively upon Yoruba sons and daughters both at home and across the diaspora,” they added. (Sahara Reporters)