Presidential Election: Atiku Is Yoruba’s Candidate, Afenifere Declares

The pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, on Wednesday, said all Yoruba people should vote for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

This was as it expressed the belief that his Presidency would be of immense benefit to the Yorubaland and the country as a whole due to his resolve to restructure the country.

In a communique issued at the end of its meeting, tagged: “Yoruba Town Hall Meeting on Moving Nigeria Forward,” held at the JOGOR Centre and read by Honourable Babatunde Oduyoye, the Afenifere maintained that after watching and listening to various candidates vying for the position of president in Saturday’s election, it realised that “it is only the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, that has irrevocably committed himself to restructuring the country on becoming president of the country.”

It added that it had been convinced that restructuring remained the only panacea to the challenges facing the country occasioned by its present political and geographical constitution, which did not allow for people-oriented governance and that it took note of the fact that Atiku was not a new convert of the principle of restructuring before choosing to back him.

“Afenifere has been advocating restructuring for some time. Our position and the type of restructuring we have in mind were contained in the document we made public at the summit we held in Ibadan in July 2017,” the communique read in part.

It noted that for the country to move forward, it must decide on the direction to follow, beginning from Saturday’s election, by electing a presidential candidate that is to return the country to the glorious days before and shortly after the country’s independence.

Speaking earlier at the meeting attended by the leaders of the Afenifere, including Chief Reuben Fasoranti; Adebanjo; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae; Senator Femi Okurounmu; Dr Gbola Adetunji; Prince Debo Gbadebo; Mrs Bola Doherty; the Oyo State PDP governorship candidate, Mr Seyi Makinde, who represented Atiku and the lead discussant, Chief Demola Folarin, the leader of Afenifere, Fasoranti, pointed out that the meeting became imperative for the Yoruba people to know which direction to go in Saturday’s election.

“We do not want to miss our goal as Yoruba nation—restructuring. We want a better and united Nigeria, we want to make progress and this is why we have gathered here to talk to one another,” Fasoranti said.

In his remarks at the meeting, a leader of the pan-Yoruba organisation, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, maintained that the Afenifere had not become part of PDP, but that it was only supporting the party’s candidate because he “wants restructuring, which Afenifere also wants.”

Adebanjo stated that a vote for Buhari would enslave the Yoruba people and further jeopardise its chances of developing like the days of Awolowo, when it could develop at its pace and achieve greatness in education and other sectors, saying that Saturday’s election would be about freedom for Yorubaland.

Adebanjo flayed those criticising Afenifere for not supporting the APC, which has a Yoruba son as vice-presidential candidate, noting that the presence of Professor  Osinbajo on the APC ticket did not mean that he should get the Yoruba’s support when his party “does not believe in what the Yoruba wants.”

Makinde, who spoke on behalf of Atiku, appreciated Afenifere for supporting the PDP presidential candidate and urged that the reign of the APC government, which he said had been backing herdsmen terrorism comes to an end.

While opening the discussion, Folarin pointed that it would be difficult for a country without direction to move forward, noting that Afenifere had always known the direction the country should go and pointed it out, which would explain the exploits the Western Region under Chief Awolowo recorded in the areas of human and physical development.

He stated that the Afenifere had made it clear to all nationalities that for every ethnic group and Nigerians to be happy, the country must be restructured, stating that this was the reason the pan-Yoruba organisation was supporting the PDP candidate.

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