A coalition of Yoruba and Igbo self-determination groups, operating under the banner Coalition to De-Amalgamate Nigeria for Security (CODES), has formalized an alliance advocating for the peaceful de-amalgamation of Nigeria. The coalition cited worsening insecurity, deepening mistrust, and unresolved historical grievances as reasons why continued coexistence under the current structure is no longer viable.
CODES, comprising indigenous civil organizations and ethnic nationalities, stated that Nigeria’s current political framework is unsustainable and insisted that peaceful self-determination is the only path to security, justice, and lasting peace.
The announcement was made in a communique issued on Friday following a global conference and press briefing held via Zoom. The coalition criticized the Nigerian state for surviving “not on truth, justice, or consent, but on systemic denial and institutionalized falsehood,” while failing to protect citizens amid widespread violence and humanitarian crises.
Leading figures in the alliance include:
Prof. Banji Akintoye – Leader of the Oduduwa (Yoruba Nation) Self-Determination Movement
Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) – Leader of the Yoruba National Community Defence
Architect George Akinola – Deputy Leader, Yoruba Self-Determination Movement (Homeland)
Dr. Kayode Emola – Deputy Leader, Yoruba Self-Determination Movement (Diaspora)
Mazi Tony Nwisi – Chairman, Igbo Global Network–IPOB
Mazi Emmanuel Kanu, Mazi Ositadimma Igenu, and Prof. Chinedu Agbodike – IPOB members
Addressing the media, CODES described the alliance as a historic, moral, and security imperative, emphasizing that it is non-violent and lawful. “Our collaboration reflects exhaustion with lies and insecurity, and a lawful insistence on dignity, safety, and political consent,” the coalition said.
The communique stressed that the De-Amalgamation Congress is open to all indigenous nations within Nigeria and represents a peaceful, internationally recognized exercise of self-determination. CODES accused successive governments of concealing mass atrocities and misleading both citizens and the international community, fostering a culture of deception that has eroded trust and accountability.
CODES traced Nigeria’s instability to the 1914 colonial amalgamation and post-colonial centralization, arguing that a state founded without consent cannot survive against consent indefinitely. Decades of corruption, political exclusion, and insecurity, they said, have left many communities distrustful of the federal system.
The communique highlighted violence across the Middle Belt, South-East, and other regions, accusing the state of complicity or inaction amid attacks by armed groups. CODES condemned the persecution of peaceful self-determination advocates, noting that while violent actors operate freely, figures like Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Chief Sunday Igboho are targeted using extraordinary state resources.
Invoking international law, the coalition insisted that its call for self-determination is legitimate under the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Among its demands, CODES called for:
International recognition of Biafra and Oduduwa nations
Immediate release of detainees held for advocating self-determination
An end to the pursuit of Chief Sunday Igboho
A UN-supervised referendum for indigenous nations seeking autonomy
International investigations into mass killings and state complicity
Protection for vulnerable communities
The coalition emphasized that this is not a declaration of war, but a call for truth, dignity, and peaceful intent. “Forced unity has failed. Silence has failed. Repression has failed. Self-determination is the only remaining path to lasting peace, stability, and regional security,” the communique concluded.
