BIAFRA CAN NEVER BE DEFEATED 😲 PROFESSOR WOLE SOYINKAGIVES REASONS DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH CHANNELS

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]I wrote an article I remember at the time during the war and I said Bafra cannot be defeated. People misunderstood what I was saying. I'm saying that once an idea has taken hold, you cannot destroy that idea. You may destroy the people, the carriers of that idea on the battlefield. Yes, this is known. But ultimately, it's not the end of the story.

[00:00:24]>> All right. So guys, a quick one. This is a video from professor have been making around the social media space since yesterday. So I saw the video I was very very fulfilled hearing from a professor of his caliber talking about Bafra Bafra can never come to reality. Bafra can never exist. Bafra have been defeated. It can't come to pass. Even if Nigeria disintegrate, Bafra will not exist. Guaranteed when a professor, a man listen to him and hear what he said in this video concerning Bafra. He said an ideology that been established got very hard to be erased especially this Bafra movement after watching this video that your mindset concerning Bafra have been detained Bafra that your mindset will be reset is not just about it's not just about some group of people in exile or government no is an ideology is a movement that have been endorsed by almost 99% So how would you think that Nigerian government and bury the ideology? It's not possible. Listen to enjoy the rest of the videos. I'll be right back.

[00:01:38]>> I wrote an article. I remember at the time during the war and I said Bafra cannot be defeated. People misunderstood what I was saying. I'm saying that once an idea has taken hold, you cannot destroy that idea. You may destroy the people, the carriers of that idea on the battlefield. Yes, this is known. But ultimately, it's not the end of the story. Otherwise, uh the Scots would not have gone through recently through a process of trying to detach themselves from Great Britain, old as that democracy is. And yet that was taking place in in the United Kingdom. So, let's not take this position of don't even talk it on my under my watch. this will never happen. Don't say things like that. Go into that environment and ask what is it that we can do to make you content, to make you happy, make you feel part of this entity. There's no need. These are the advantages of staying. Listen to some other baffans and ask them why they want to stay. This is what we are ready to push as the overall uh governance uh authority in this area. But don't go around saying the the the sovereignty of this nation is indivisible. It's non-negotiable. All that kind of language for me. It only makes matters worse.

[00:02:57]>> I reckon that if Ojuku were alive today, >> yes, >> he will be saying to Nambano, >> that's not the way to go. Ojuku may not say so to Nambiko for the simple reason that Ojuku and I and I believe every rightthinking person should also take into consideration the fact that every citizen every adult citizen is entitled to his or her own point of view. So that if Niko believes that Bafra should be a separate country, that is a point of view because that would have been consistent with what believed and did in the late60s.

[00:03:34]>> The circumstances I keep referring you to the the the situation at the time.

[00:03:40]Yes. So when situations change, so people can shift ideologically.

[00:03:45]So that's the point that what we're dealing with today is not so much about where Mr. A or Mr. be stands on these issues but the right the right and freedom of people to agitate for whatever they want so long as they do it within the law so it's not a question of where do I stand basically it's a matter of what rights are we entitled to as citizens of Nigeria and how are those rights protected under the law so you don't you don't agree with the way Nando is playing the politics of Bafra today but you believe he has a right to his position to hold his position. Is that correct?

[00:04:23]>> That's the point I'm making that he he has the right to hold his views and to agitate for separation then I have the right for you know to say well I think I need to look at this differently. It is the for what we need to do is to ensure at all times that we uphold individual rights and freedoms. That's the that's the bottom line. Okay. Um, now this is relevant to to that to to this conversation. You said in page 197, let me read what you wrote here. Um, President Bhari has his own issues with the Ebo. He becomes irritated when confronted with issues relating to EU marginalization or Bafra.

[00:05:06]I also have to read that immediately after that you did say that um Bhari has a certain authenticity that can help to achieve genuine national reconciliation if [music] he so desires.

[00:05:20]Wrote after in page 108 you said a significant number of the ebo diaspora diaspora do not believe that Nigeria is redeemable. They believe in Bafra and are funding the process that could lead to its [music] realization. I believe that Nigeria is redeemable if we fight for its libration through I mean from the clutches of agents agents of centralization.

[00:05:46]>> Yes.

[00:05:46]>> Okay. Still with me sir. I was I was just curious. Okay. Then you now wrote in page 200. One of the reasons Abas becomes very irritated over the current Bafra agitation aside of the civil war victim mentality is that he knows very well that it sprouted on his watch. Okay. So you said Bhari gets agitated when it comes to the issues of the issue of EO. You said Abas gets agitated when it comes to the issue of Bafra. Do you believe that Bhari and Abasj are agents of centralization? Is that your take on those leaders that they push for strong central government?

[00:06:26]Agents of centralization.

[00:06:27]>> Yeah. Agents of centralization um basically people who by their training, you know, military uh uh officers who get into government and they only understand command and control and then their own idea, you know, of Nigeria is a Nigeria that is controlled from the center from Abuja. Okay. Now that is the problem. Abas General Abas Jab Buhari Jarab Abanga all the generals you know who have you know one time or the other been in office in Niger they all belong to that uh school of thought they are basically uh they believe in centralization as a policy.

[00:07:12]>> That's what you meant by agent of centralization. Now the point is this Nigeria was founded you know the you know you know the way Nigeria was founded the whole idea was to create a federal state that was the uh vision of the founding fathers who laid the foundation uh for Nigeria. Now the military guys you know came in from Gwan in agri gowan the military forget about their ethnic uh background.

[00:07:44]Okay. Now so it is the inability of the military class [snorts] to interpret their own vision which is clearly a unitary vision. They have been unable to interpret it to Nigerians.

[00:08:01]that failure is you know basically at the root of the confusion and crisis we face as a country. Yes. So that is it. So my take my thesis is clear.

[00:08:11]>> So if we rescue Nigeria from the grip of these agents of centralization Nigeria will be a better place.

[00:08:21]And so when people begin to interpret it, what restructure means to them, you know, whatever way you look at it, the overarching point, the most important point is that, you know, we must return to the original vision, you know, of federalism, you know, upon which this country, you know, was formed.

[00:08:47]What we have been experiencing is a distortion and it's compounded by the inability of those who seek to distort it to even properly you know interpret their own vision. They don't seem to even be clear you know how their own idea of uh central command control system will work. They failed.

[00:09:05]>> Thank you very much. Um it's been a nice time with you here um reviewing your book the politics of Bafra and the future of Nigeria.

[00:09:14]Thank you. Congratulations on your book.

[00:09:16]>> Thank you Klay. Thank you very much.

[00:09:18]>> Some time ago, while reviewing two books with Professor Wally Shinka, we asked him what he thought about today's agitation for a separate state called Bafra. Here's how he responded.

[00:09:28]>> I wrote an article. I remember at the time during the war and I said Bafra cannot be defeated. People misunderstood what I was saying. I'm saying that once an idea has taken hold, you cannot destroy that idea. You may destroy the people, the carriers of that idea on the battlefield. Yes, this is known but ultimately it's not the end of the story otherwise uh the Scots would not have gone through recently through a process of trying to detach themselves from Great Britain old as that democracy is and yet that was taking place in in the United Kingdom. So let's not take this position of don't even talk it on my under my watch this will never happen.

[00:10:10]Don't say things like that. go into that environment and ask what is it that we can do to make you content to make you happy make you feel part of this entity there's no need these are the advantages of staying listen to some other bapans and ask them why they want to stay this is what we are ready to push as the overall uh governance uh authority in this area but don't go around saying the the the sovereignty of This nation is indivisible. It's non-negotiable. All that kind of language for me, it only makes matters worse.

[00:10:47]>> I hope you have enjoyed today's show. As always, please send us your feedback through any of our social media platforms displayed on your screen. I am Ola Kuni Kasumu. Remember, one great book can change your life. Bye-bye.

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