Afenifere Reiterates Opposition to Interim Govt, Calls for End to Cash, Fuel Scarcity

Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja

A pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to resist any temptation or pressure to foist on Nigeria any form of change of government that was not a product of democratic practice.

Afenifere, which made the call in a press release by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, yesterday, also sought an end to the cash and fuel scarcity currently plaguing the country.

According to group, the latest call was necessitated by a disclosure by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that some elements within the presidency were scheming to have the president foist an Interim Government on Nigerians.

Afenifere said its call was not necessarily in support of the Kaduna State governor or because of its interest in any particular candidate.

The organisation went further to say while it was not always in agreement with the position of Governor El-Rufai on some national issues, however, on this particular one, it was in agreement with the governor and all those who insisted that elections must hold on February 25 and March 11, 2023 as scheduled.

Afenifere then warned that those who might be thinking along this line should perish the thought as such portended grave dangers.

“Rather, we are making this call because of the sacrifices we, along with many other Nigerians, dead and alive, have made to ensure that we have civil rule. We are happy that we have had about 24 years of civil rule and six transitions between one civilian administrations to another since 1999.

“There is no doubt that we can have better administrations and that we are desirous of having a change. But that change must be through democratic means as enshrined in our constitution. It is in this respect anything that could prompt the change of government through any other means is unacceptable.”

Speaking on currency swap, Afenifere while lamenting sufferings of Nigerians, urged President Buhari to compel the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, to reconsider his stand, and at the same time, called on Buhari to also compel the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to flood the market with needed fuel at very affordable prices.

“Reports from every part of the country are disturbingly revealing in terms of the agonies people are going through because of the difficulties they are having in obtaining cash. Lives have been lost while properties running into millions of Naira have been destroyed by those who were protesting out of frustration.

“Many men and women have resorted to antics that are degrading such as exposing their bodies in bank premises to demonstrate how desperate they were. Fuel stations, court registries, shopping malls and even banks have been reported to refuse receiving the outgoing currency notes thus putting millions of people in jeopardy. Yet, Mr. Emefiele said that the situation is ‘calming down’!

“Emefiele was reported to have dismissed the idea of any re-consideration of the February 10 deadline on Tuesday, February 14th when he visited the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja to discuss the monetary and currency redesign policy of the apex bank.

“The position of the CBN boss in this regard became more disturbing because it was in flagrant defiance of the order given by the Supreme Court that both the old and the new Naira be continued to be regarded as legal tender pending the determination of the main suit brought by three state governments.

“Emefiele’s position was also in total disrespect of the view expressed by the 36 state governors in a communique signed the by Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State as well as the position of the Council of States that met last week and chaired by President Buhari.

“With these done and all those who have roles to play in the forthcoming elections given necessary support, there will be no need to have a change of government through any means other than the one allowed by the constitution. This is the path of honour to tread. We urge the president to tread this path.”