TYF sounds alarm over indigeneship bill

The group Think Yoruba First (TYF) has strongly opposed the proposed Indigene Status Bill, saying it threatens justice, fairness, and national unity.

TYF was responding to a recent article by legislative analyst Paul Asiodu, who claimed that critics of the bill are only pretending to be angry and don’t fully understand it. TYF disagreed, calling that claim “dismissive, unfounded, and dangerously misleading.”

According to Dr. Bukola Ogundoyin, Secretary General of TYF Worldwide, the bill wrongly mixes up citizenship and indigeneity. She explained that:

• Citizenship means being a member of the Nigerian nation.
• Indigeneity refers to a person’s cultural roots, ancestry, and traditional ties to a specific area within Nigeria.

TYF also pointed out that Nigeria agreed to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, which gives indigenous communities the right to decide their identity, protect their land, and maintain their cultural heritage.

The group criticized the bill’s proposal to grant indigene status to people based on 10 years of residence or marriage, saying this goes against international standards.

TYF emphasized that Nigeria already has the Federal Character Principle, found in Section 14(3) of the Constitution. This principle ensures fair treatment of all regions in public service and resource sharing. Instead of changing the law, TYF says the government should better enforce this existing rule.

The group warned that trying to force national unity by ignoring indigenous identities could cause serious problems. They mentioned countries like Rwanda, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia as examples of how forced integration can lead to violence and instability.

Dr. Ogundoyin said the bill is an attempt to erase indigenous rights in the name of unity. She stated, “No country in the world gives indigene status just because someone lives or marries in a place. Some countries grant citizenship this way, but not cultural identity.

”She added that Nigeria’s peace depends on respecting its ethnic and cultural diversity, not trying to make everyone the same.

“To ignore this balance,” she said, “is to invite unrest, displacement, and possibly the collapse of the system.”