OMO ODÙDUWÀ COLLECTIVE: A CALL TO CONSCIENCE, JUSTICE AND NATIONAL RENEWAL
We announce the formation of the Omo Odùduwà Collective, a platform of concerned Yoruba men and women drawn from academia, business, the professions, public service, culture, and civil society, united by a commitment to the future of Yorubaland and Nigeria.
The Collective arises from a profound sense of historical responsibility. We believe Nigeria has reached a critical moment when silence is no longer a virtue and citizens must speak honestly about the condition of the nation and the values that should guide its future.
For generations, the Yoruba people earned respect through their commitment to truth, education, democratic engagement, accountability, and social progress. Leaders were judged not by the praise they attracted but by the welfare they delivered. Criticism was not regarded as disloyalty but as a necessary instrument of accountability.
We are concerned that these values are increasingly being displaced by a political culture marked by opportunism, intolerance of dissent, ethnic chauvinism, and the normalization of unaccountable power. Equally troubling is the growing attempt to portray criticism of government as hostility to the Yoruba people. Such a position is contrary to Yoruba history and political culture, which have always encouraged robust debate and independent thinking.
After closely observing the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the last three years, we acknowledge that many of Nigeria’s challenges predate his government. However, this does not diminish the responsibility of any administration for the choices it makes. Millions of Nigerians today face severe economic hardship, rising costs of living, declining purchasing power, food insecurity, unemployment, and growing uncertainty about the future.
The issue is not whether reforms are necessary. It is whether those reforms are pursued within a framework that places the welfare of citizens at its centre. Economic policies must be judged not only by statistics and projections but by their impact on human lives.
As the nation approaches the 2027 electoral cycle, we urge the political class to focus less on politics and more on rescuing the Nigerian state. We believe urgent national consensus is required on a number of critical issues.
First is constitutional restructuring. Nigeria’s diversity cannot continue to be managed through excessive centralization. Genuine federalism, devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, and greater autonomy for states remain essential to national stability and progress.
Second is security. The current centralized security architecture has proved inadequate against the growing threats of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and violent crime. We support the establishment of constitutionally regulated state policing structures alongside broader investments in education, job creation, and economic inclusion.
Third is the economy. Hunger, unemployment, and poverty have reached alarming levels. Government must prioritise policies that create jobs, support businesses, stimulate production, and restore hope, especially among young Nigerians.
We are equally concerned by the widening disconnect between the suffering of citizens and the conduct of many public officials. At a time of widespread hardship, government must demonstrate empathy, fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability. Anti-corruption agencies must be seen to pursue corruption at all levels without fear or favour.
Our purpose is neither ethnic antagonism nor partisan opposition. We seek a Nigeria founded on justice, fairness, accountability, competence, and respect for diversity. We believe the Yoruba people have a responsibility to contribute to this national renewal, not through ethnic triumphalism but through principled and moral leadership.
The Omo Odùduwà Collective is not a political party. It is a platform for reflection, dialogue, advocacy, research, and civic engagement. We are committed to defending the ethical foundations of public life, promoting democratic values, and ensuring that future generations inherit a society where truth, integrity, and justice remain stronger than power, expediency, or ethnic loyalty.
This is the spirit in which the Omo Odùduwà Collective was born.
Signed:
1, Professor Akinyemi Onigbinde ( Convener)
2, Kazeem Olasupo( Honourary Secretary)
3, Senator Babafemi Ojudu
4, Bar. Dele Farotimi
5, Dr. Adeolu Oyekan
6, Dr. Olasunkanmi Olapeju
7, Samuel Arinloye Adebisi
8, Kayode Ogundamisi
-for Omo Odùduwà Collective