Background
Nigeria’s population of more than 200, 000 million is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups with three dorminant groups like Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa. The Yorubas are among the largest with about 40 million; this is based on Worldometer’s elaboration of the latest United Nation data, although no accurate population statistics are available in Nigeria. The Yoruba historical homeland is the southwest of the country, where they are the majority group. However, like many other ethnic groups, Yoruba have moved around the country over the years and have settled in other regions too.
Before and after independence from Britain in 1960, there were conflicts among different ethnic groups in Nigeria in the competition for political control. Following the withdrawal of the British colonial authorities, the Yoruba found themselves pitted against the Hausa, in particular, the majority ethnic group in the north of Nigeria who had tended to be favored by the British under colonial rule and who dominated the political and military elite.
Formation of OPC
Following the annulment of the 1993 Nigerian Presidential election by Nigeria’s military government under General Ibrahim Babangida, Babangida instituted a pseudo-civilian government headed by Chief Ernest Sonekan which soon gave way to another military government under General Sani Abacha, one of Babangida’s close associates. Like Babangida, Abacha was a northern Nigerian Muslim. Abacha increasingly excluded Yoruba from his administration, further reinforcing feelings of political exclusion and even persecution in South-Western Nigeria. It should be noted that Yoruba opposition to the military government of Abacha and the continuing political influence of Babangida revolved around the failed transistion of 1993 which resulted to a long cultural and political trajectory in south-western Nigeria.
The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) as a socio-cultural group was formed in 1994 to actualize the annulled mandate of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, a Yoruba man who most people believed to have won the said presidential election. The Oodua Peoples Congress was formed by some Yoruba Nationalists with the aims of protecting the interest of Yoruba race and also to preserve and promote Yoruba cultural heritage and values. Dr. Fredrick Faseun, the founding Father and its first national leader and Chief Gani Adams, the National Coordinator were the main arrow heads of the formation.
The OPC, which derives its name from that of Oduduwa, the ancestor of the Yoruba race, was formed precisely in August 1994 with the primary aim of defending, protecting and promoting Yoruba interests. Some other ethnic groups, such as the Igbo, the Hausa and the Ijaw, had also formed their own organizations. However, under successive military governments in the 1990s, freedom of expression and association were even more severely restricted, and members of groups calling for autonomy or agitating for greater power for particular ethnic groups were arrested and harassed by the authorities, in some cases on the basis of allegations that they had carried out acts of violence. Those arrested included Dr. Frederick Fasehun, founding father of OPC, who was detained in 1996 for a year and a half.
It should be noted that OPC is a complex organization, which has taken on several different roles as it has adapted to the changing political and security environment in Nigeria. Its activities have ranged from advocating for the good governance, better change and the promotion of Yoruba culture.
OPC members have been victims of human rights abuses. Hundreds of real or suspected OPC members have been killed by the police; many others have been arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and detained without trial for extended periods on trumped – up charges.
Formation of OPC was in line with the provision of constitution which under section 40 guarantees that every individual has a right to assembly freely and associate with other person, and he/she may form or belong to any political party, trade union or other association and more so, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under section 39 states that every Nigerian is entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference, and is entitled to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions
Impacts of OPC
OPC has been in the vanguard of reclaiming the glory of the Yoruba race in the last 30 years, the organisation has survived turbulent times and challenges from forces within or outside the South-West region during this period. The organization has passed through the thick and thin and now become a formidable force in Nigeria.
As stated earlier, the OPC was founded with the explicit political aim of safeguarding Yoruba ethno-nationalist interests vis-Ã -vis the state. By fighting crime, and state institutions perceived to be implicated in the perpetration of crime, including the police and military. The OPC combines aspects of two distinct types of organizations which have emerged in Nigeria: those which advocate for the specific interests of their particular ethnic, regional or religious group in a broadly political context, and those which have taken on the task of fighting crime, without an explicit political agenda of their own.
Several government officials maintain close links with the OPC leadership, and some local OPC members have provided security arrangements at official and public functions, in the presence of government officials. However, in the past, government agencies have taken several steps to crack down OPC which often resulted in further human rights violations by the police, including extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrests of unarmed OPC members.
The OPC has now become active, visible and organised because the organization has a clear structure, chain of command and disciplinary procedures. The OPC continues to enjoy significant support among sectors of the population in southwestern Nigeria and among state government officials.
As political tensions usually arise before, during and after elections in Nigeria. Many ethnic and social groups are always voicing out dissatisfaction with the country’s political and economic situation, the OPC represents a powerful force which voices could not be ignored. Candidates for the elections at all these levels, and their supporters, have made widespread use of thugs and other armed groups to intimidate and even eliminate their opponents. The number of cases of political violence in other parts of the country were significant except in the southwest which was brought under control by the OPC due to their large membership across the region.
While other ethnic groups are calling for the breaking of Nigeria, the Oodua Peoples Congress remains steadfast in campaigning for the unity and progress in Nigeria by using culture as a mechanism to promote, preserve and revive Yoruba cultural values. To mention but a few among the festivals, Olokun Festival in Lagos, Osun Osogbo Festival in Osogbo, Oodua Festival in Ile-Ife, Sango Festival in Oyo, Obatala Festival in Igangan, Oro Festival in Iseyin, Oke’badan Festival in Ibadan, Okota Festival in Ondo among others. The organization sets a day aside for the celebration of God, named Eledumare Festival.
The organization celebrates over twenty-five cultural festivals annually in conjunction with traditional rulers of where the festivals are being celebrated. This is one of the strategies adopted by the group to keep their members busy. The contributions of Oodua Peoples Congress in promoting Osun Osogbo annual cultural festival added to the opportunity of the festival being recognized by the UNESCO in 2005.
There was no time the court in Nigeris or snywhere declared OPC as a terrorist organisation as all the activities are being carried out within the purview of the law as OPC continue to make positive impacts in Nigeria.
Emergence of OPU
In 2011, the Oodua Peoples Congress has given birth to another organization known as Oodua Progressive Union (OPU). The vision and mission behind the formation of this Diaspora based organization (OPU) is to stimulate and nurture the interest of Yoruba sons and daughters in rich cultural heritage of their people and to help discover the power and richness of their history. Part of the vision of OPU is to create a platform where Yoruba sons and daughters in the Diaspora can meet to offer support for one another and aggregate the interest of their race.
In one of Chief Gani Adams’ speeches, the Convener of the fast-growing organization, he said, the OPU was born in Great Britain, but was officially launched in India November 2012, On September 7th, 2013 in Great Britain, followed by the launch in Holland on September 14th, France on September 12th 2013, Germany on September 10th 2013 and Australia chapter was launched on the 16th of August 2014 at Vienna Austria.
On the last count, the OPU now exists in over 71 countries across the world. The organisation is saddled with the responsibility of re-awakening the dead spirit of the culturally diverse Yorubaland, with strong determination and objective of, orientating and re,orientating the Yoruba race on the need for Unity. The OPU seeks to strengthen the fabric of cohesion, unity and integration of Yoruba people all across Yoruba land.
The impacts of OPC and activities of OPU contributed greatly to the appointment of Chief Gani Adams as the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, the position he was honored and conferred with by His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo Kingdom in 2017.
Chief Gani Adams has been able to positively transformed the OPC to a generally acceptable organization in Nigeria. An organization many unscrupulous elements initiallly considered as a thuggery group, but not, as a result of media propaganda against its leadership.Chief Gani Adams has indeed transformed OPC into a cultural vanguard of Yoruba race in Nigeria
•Alayo Akanbi Esq. a legal practitioner, notary public and public commentator, writes from Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
