* Insists presidency should move to South-east
The National Leader of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of intentionally looking away from the multiple challenges confronting Nigeria, because of his personal agenda.
The Afenifere leader also reiterated that it would be total injustice if the Southeast was edged out of the 2023 presidential calculation.
Speaking on a Channels Television interview, Sunday Politics, monitored by THISDAY, Adebanjo accused Buhari’s administration of insensitivity by ignoring the clamour for restructuring.
“It is insulting for the ruling party and its major promoters to insist that they don’t know the meaning of restructuring. It’s more worrisome for Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to subscribe to this conclusion.
“We all know that our constitution is not a federal constitution but a document put together by Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar. In that case, it doesn’t require amendment but surgical operation because it’s a fraudulent constitution,” he said.
The Afenifere leader, who insisted that it’s an insult for Buhari to stand aloof as if he doesn’t know what to do, said the president is only unwilling to solve the problem in the land.
According to him, “On security and other challenges facing our country, it is not that Buhari doesn’t know what to do, but he has private agenda. We have said it over and over again that, the state should be allowed to take care of local security. Look, how can you send a Minna man to Umuahia and expect him to understand the terrain and secure the place?
“It’s sad that Journalists also are living in denial because they all know our problem. We are all in Nigeria and no Journalist can say he’s safe travelling from Abuja to Ekiti by road. Travelling by road is not safe. Travelling by rail is not safe. Anywhere you turn to, there is danger and we are all pretending all is well.”
Adebanjo traced the origin of the current challenges to the reluctance of the North to key into agitation for independence in 1956, adding that the same zone that was reluctant then is still not comfortable with other parts of the country.
His words: “The idea of zoning emanated from the decision of early leaders to make sure no part of the country is cheated. But, it’s sad that a zone is frustrating all efforts being made to achieve this. After the misfortune that trailed June 12 and the unceremonious exit of Ernest Shonekan, all the political parties in the country zoned the presidency to the South in 1999 to pacify the Yorubas.
“Obasanjo won the election and spent eight years before handing over to Umar Yar’Adua. Unfortunately, Yar’Adua couldn’t complete and Jonathan from Southeast came in. From Jonathan, power returned to Buhari from the Northern zone.
“Now, Buhari is rounding off his two terms of 8 years and some people haven’t considered it necessary to zone the presidency to Southeast. Is Southeast not part of Nigeria? If we want peace, we must be just and fair to all,” he stated.
The Afenifere leader, who also condemned the president for always speaking to Nigeria while abroad, dismissed Messrs Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, both spokespersons to President Buhari, as people ‘who know next to nothing.’
He said, “It is sad that whenever Buhari wants to talk to us, he goes abroad or talks to us through Femi Adesina or Garba Shehu. Both guys know next to nothing and they play to the gallery most times.”
