Atiku On Yoruba Nation: ‘Where Would My Children From Each Leg Of Nigeria Go?’

– Asks Governors To Bypass Buhari To ‘Make Changes’

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has offered his two cents on Saturday’s Yoruba nation rally convened by groups demanding the separation of Yoruba from Nigeria, as well as the demand for restructuring of the country by governors of all 17 states in the southern region.

Atiku blamed the developments on the Federal Government’s failure to “immediately and dispassionately” respond whenever citizens were being terrorized by their compatriots.

Recall that at the mega rally which held in Osogbo, Osun State, on Saturday, the Yoruba separatist groups had described the Oduduwa nation movement as an idea that was ripe for actualization and which would not be stopped by anybody.

Atiku blamed the South West’s self-determination agitation on the federal government’s failure to protect the citizens from kidnappers, bandits and other criminals who terrorized them on a daily basis.

“It is unNigerian to terrorise your fellow citizens. Up until about a decade ago, we did not have this. It is unNigerian to abduct people. And this is undoubtedly a new menace that has low historical precedence in Nigeria.

“The truth is that if at a National level, we address these unNigerian tendencies immediately and dispassionately, we would not have Nigerians congregating at a regional or sub-regional level to address these issues,” he said.

The former vice president, however, noted that the current challenges facing the country do not call for disintegration, but concentration, adding that, “We must concentrate and focus our national willpower and resolve towards fighting these unNigerian tendencies.”

In a series of tweets on Sunday night, Atiku said: “Governors representing some states have met. And I completely understand the necessity of their meeting and the wisdom of their decisions. But no matter how much you try to clap with one hand, the vibrations will not be the same as when you clap with two hands.

“These problems were created by those with a regional mindset, and will not be solved by those with a similar mindset.

“For too long, we have erroneously thought that the power to make effective changes lies at Aso Rock. But without the states, nobody can get to Aso Rock.

“That is why for anyone to emerge as President of Nigeria, he or she must secure enough votes in two-thirds of the states that make up the Nigerian federation.

“I call on Nigerian Governors to stop waiting on Abuja to make changes, and instead convene a National Unity Summit of all Nigerian Governors to iron out the thorny issues affecting the destiny of our nation until they figure out a way to resolve them.

“Forget about your party. Forget about your tribe. Respect your religion and allow it to bring out the better part of you. Meet together. Talk together. Come up with the solutions to all our collective challenges.

“And then go back to your states, and consult with your federal and state legislators, with a view to getting them to work with their colleagues to implement the solutions you came up with. That is how to save Nigeria.

“To keep waiting for this Federal Government to take the lead, and effect the changes that Nigeria needs to stop drifting, is to keep waiting for Godot. And that is a luxury we cannot afford.

“We cannot afford it because, according to the Global Terror Index, our beloved nation is now the third most terrorised nation on Earth.

“We are featuring prominently on the Failed States Index, and the symbols of our nation, our currency, our passport, and our international standing are fast losing value.

Atiku added that, “Together we must win forever. We are far too interconnected to be disconnected. Where would my children, who have a parent from each leg of Nigeria go? Where would your children, who have sunk roots far from their ancestral heritage, go?”