TRACKING>>Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, yesterday took a swipe at the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo for not pushing Yoruba agenda with the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
The mainstream Yoruba organization said that since the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Yoruba has always canvassed restructuring, true federalism and devolution of powers, which the APC government did not believe in. At a general meeting held in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the house of its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the group adopted the resolution of Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Middle Belt Forum, and Northern Elders Forum (NEF) endorsing the candidacy of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi in the February 16 Presidential election.
In a communiqué signed by Fasoranti, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Olu Falae and Senator Femi Okunronmu, the endorsement was based on the shared commitment to restructuring of Nigeria to guarantee true federalism. Afenifere, which had earlier endorsed Atiku, reaffirmed the decision, saying the fact that Osinbajo is a Yoruba son would not make it change its decision in supporting PDP’s candidate. Okunronmu, who read the communiqué, said: “That a person is your son does not mean you support him when he is working against your interest. “Osinbajo is working against the interest of Yoruba and our support for Atiku is not the question of Yoruba or Igbo or Hausa, but about somebody that believes in what Awolowo believed in, which is federalism.
We advise all Yoruba to come out and vote for Atiku. “Osinbajo is hanging on the Fulani to work against Yoruba interest. When our people are being killed in their farms by Fulani herdsmen, Osinbajo did not say anything. When we are talking about restructuring, Osinbajo is arguing against restructuring and all the Yoruba want is restructuring. So, when Osinbajo is working against restructuring, he is not for Yoruba people. “So, we cannot support APC because of Osinbajo who has turned himself to the enemy of Yoruba.”
The group also latched at a faction of Afenifere led by Senator Ayo Fasanmi. “We are not unmindful of some impostors parading themselves as Afenifere, holding meetings and endorsing General Muhammadu Buhari to continue in office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in spite of his incompetence, cluelessness, nepotism, tribalism, religious bigotry, ill-health and glaring mental incapacity.
“These pretenders are doubtlessly not Afenifere members, but as usual, only dubiously seeking to exploit the goodwill and reputation of Afenifere to market their bad political product. “Their desperation in this regard is exemplified in the fraudulent printing of campaign posters in the name and picturing Ambassador Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu as endorsing Buhari and Osinbajo, which she has since disclaimed.”
