When Nigeria’s bellicose politicians tell the Yoruba they cannot exit Nigeria, ask them: exactly what formality ties the Yoruba to Nigeria?

There was no person called ‘Nigerian’ until independence on 1 October 1960. The 1960 Independence Constitution at its Chapter II (Section 7 to Section 16) defined the ‘Nigerian’. This definition of ‘Nigerian’ was agreed upon between the British and 3 separate and distinct, autonomous  ‘Territories of the Federation’, identified at Section 3 (1) of the Independence Constitution as Northern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Eastern Nigeria. The pluralist Independence Constitution of 1960 was a written contract between the Yoruba of Western Nigeria and Nigeria, in which the Yoruba said they wanted to be part of Nigeria.

The 1963 Republic Constitution was an agreement, an Act of parliament, made internally between Nigerians themselves who, according to Section 3 (1), were now resident in 4 separate and distinct, autonomous ‘Territories of the Federation’, namely: Northern Nigeria, Western Nigeria, Eastern Nigeria and Midwestern Nigeria. The ‘Nigerian’ was defined at Chapter II of the 1963 Republic Constitution (Section 7 to Section 33). The pluralist Republic Constitution of 1963 was a written contract between the Yoruba of Western Nigeria and Nigeria, in which the Yoruba said they wanted to continue to be part of Nigeria.

Following the military coup d’état of 15 January 1966, the Northern Nigeria tore up the Nigeria contract that it had voluntarily entered into in 1960 and 1963. The Northern Nigeria discarded its contract partners, that is, Western Nigeria, Eastern Nigeria and Midwestern Nigeria. The Northern Nigeria then cantonised Nigeria:

               I.         27 May 1967 – General Yakubu Gowon created 12 cantons - Bendel, Benue-Plateau, Cross River, East Central, North Central, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Northeastern, Northwestern, Rivers, and Western. 

              II.         3 February  1976 – General Murtala Muhammed created Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Imo, Niger, Ogun, and Ondo to bring the total number to 19.

            III.         27 August 1991 – General Ibrahim Babangida created Abia, Enugu, Delta, Jigawa, Kebbi, Osun, Kogi, Taraba and Yobe to bring the total number to 30.

            IV.         1 October 1996 – General Sani Abacha created Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Gombe and Ekiti to bring the total number to 36.

On 5 May 1999, the Northern Region imposed its Unitary Constitution on their cantonised Nigeria without the agreement of Western Nigeria, Eastern Nigeria and Midwestern Nigeria. Thus, since 15 January 1966 there has not been a contract, written or oral, between the Yoruba of Western Nigeria and Nigeria, to say the Yoruba wished to continue to be part of Nigeria. The Northern Nigeria rendered inoperable the contracts of 1960 and 1963 that had tied the Yoruba to Nigeria. The Yoruba are entitled to leave Nigeria. It is that simple.