‘Yinka ADETUNJI
The results of the referendum on Yoruba self-determination conducted online between May 12 and June 12, 2021 has been released, with 84.09 percent of the participants voting in favour of a separate nation for the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria.
This is according to the result of the online poll released by the organizers, Yoruba Decides Group, yesterday, June 12, at 3pm.
A breakdown of the outcome shows that 22,124 voters participated, with a total number of 17, 116 valid votes while 4, 568 votes suffered disqualification.
Out of these votes, 14, 762 voted to support Yorubaland standing as an independent country, representing a whopping 84.09%; 2,271 voted in favour of restructuring that would see power being devolved to the constituent regions, representing 12, 94 percent; while only 83 participants want the status quo to remain, that is Nigeria continuing as it is, with this representing 0.47 percent.
The result of the poll thus reveals that the majority of the voters supports self-determination.
The organizers affirming the transparency of the process remarks, “Yorubadecides.com promised that the result would be absolutely factual and verifiable.
“In keeping with this promise, any credible and verifiable organisation that would like to confirm the veracity of the result would be given access to the poll log (similar to the ballot boxes in physical polls).
“The poll log, not including voter’s private data, contains all necessary data required to carry out an audit. Interested parties should go to yorubadecides.com to make a request.”
The organizers further note that the Yoruba self-determination poll was conducted in consonance with “The charters of the United Nations, Africa Union and ECOWAS, of which Nigeria is a member,” which they state, “give the people the right to self determination and to have a voice on how they would like to be governed.”
It is added, “Acting within the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantee freedom of expression and association, a self-determination poll is hereby set up to determine the wish of the Yoruba people on how they would like to be governed.”
