Tinubu Berates Adebanjo, Says Afenifere Not Personal Franchise

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday asked the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, not to turn the group into a personal franchise.

In a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of Tinubu/Shettima campaign team, Bayo Onanuga, the APC flagbearer noted that Pa Adebanjo did not speak for the people of Yoruba Nation.

Adebanjo had recently said Afenifere has adopted the candidature of Peter Obi of the Labour Party based on fairness, even as he urged other geopolitical zones to support the South-east to produce the next President in 2023.

The presidential candidate insisted that there was nowhere Afenifere met and took a decision to adopt Obi as a candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu said: “Pa Adebanjo does not speak for Afenifere. He is free as an individual to support anyone he likes, in furtherance of his democratic right.
“We know for a fact that Baba has turned Afenifere into his personal estate as Acting Leader. We are also certain that there was nowhere Afenifere, as we know it, met and took a decision to adopt Mr. Peter Obi as a candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

“We respect the age of Pa Adebanjo but he cannot turn Afenifere into his personal franchise for any political alliance.”
“We are very much aware that Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the real leader of Afenifere, had stated clearly that Pa Adebanjo has always been speaking for himself on many national issues using the name of the group.

“It is our well considered position that Pa Adebanjo cannot appropriate Afenifere. Pa Adebanjo is just an individual who is free to support any politician of his choice. As an individual, he cannot equate himself with the socio-cultural and socio-political organisation.”
Adebanjo had, at a meeting of the Southern and Middle Belt Forum (SMBLF), said Obi shares the same cause as him.
The meeting came about six weeks after Adebanjo endorsed the candidacy of Obi.

Adebanjo had said Obi believes in restructuring and is fighting for oppressed Nigerians.
“Obi came to meet Southern and Middle Belt leaders in my house. It was an exchange of views; we believe in the same cause,” he said, adding that they won’t back any candidate that does not support restructuring,” he was quoted as saying.

“We are all partners in progress. The fight he is fighting is a fight for the oppressed.
“Restructuring was at the front burner; we should have a country first before we have any development plan. That is the pillar on which the Southern and Middle Belt leaders stand.”

According to him, “constitutional review, community policing, devolution of power and others are all embedded in restructuring. Where we have a constitution where everybody is dissatisfied, you won’t have peace and without peace, there will be no stability. These are fundamental.

“There is nothing new about restructuring; we are only saying let us go back to where we started before the military came. Where did we start? The constitution was made in 1964, endorsed by Awolowo, Azikwe and Sardauna, and was what we had until the military came in 1966 and imposed this constitution.
“This constitution is a fraudulent one and the government has never refuted it. They set aside the constitution before 1966, imposed this one and included all the things that were excluded that are causing confusion till today. We must go back to that constitution.”