The immediate past National Secretary of Pan Yoruba Socio- Cultural Organization, Afenifere, Basorun Sehinde Arogbofa, said that the foremost Yoruba group would queue behind the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu if the election holds, as against the position of its national leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo who has openly supported the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Arogbofa, who expressed doubts that the 2023 election would hold, stated this during an interview with Vanguard.
We have three major candidates from three major ethnic groups in the country for the Presidential race, what does this portend for Nigeria democracy, politics and 2023 election?
Looking at it from that angle, that may not be the best. But there is a way of making for that, since their deputies have been chosen from other geopolitical zones as a way of balancing up. But my fear is that there is no solid structure on ground for any of them to succeed. This is what I mean. We have been talking about the restructuring of this country to have a true federal system as in America where for example a super state like California doesn’t pose any threat to a poorer state like Alaska, which still has its own laws, police and everything.
In Nigeria, for a long time we have been talking of restructuring so that every state can have its own police to solve the insecurity issues for example. A federal police officer from Maiduguri for instance cannot know the nooks and corners of Ondo State, so the state police should exist side by side with the federal police. We are asking for restructuring so that every state will be able to use its resources, after paying an agreed tax to the federal Government, to provide jobs, maintain roads, develop other infrastructures fund education and health and maintain peace.
Unless we restructure this country so that every state can manage its own affairs like in America, whoever is coming to rule this country will have problems, unless such a person will develop the strong political will to turn things around. This is because the system is faulty. The 1999 constitution is a military invention, not the civilian constitution. Unless whoever gets there develops a mind of his own and he’s able to change the structure on ground I have my fears.
National leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, has openly declared support for the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, arguing that it’s the turn of the South East. Is this the position of the group?
Afenifere members are not robots. They are made up of intelligent people with strong convictions but occasional divergent views. That notwithstanding, they are bound together by the welfare philosophy of the association. On any contentious issue they come together as democrats to discuss and agree on a consensus.
While the consensus becomes their public stand view those who disagree are still allowed to keep their views without necessarily making them an opposition position to the majority decision. After all, when Afenifere floated the SDP for its members to contest upon, a few individuals were known to still hoist the Labour Party flag in their residence, while a few others were said to be secretly romancing with one party or the other. Yet, Afenifere did not break. Yes, Baba Adebanjo has been supporting a presidential candidate Mr Peter Obi, even when an Afenifere meeting for a consensus has not been held.
However, his position can not destroy what the association really stands for. Baba has a right to his choice and conviction but that does not mean that all members are with him. For instance, Chief R.F. Fasoranti whom Chief Ayo Adebanjo always refer to as his leader told Priscilla Ediare in the Saturday Sun of July 20, 2002 on page 14 that, and I quote him, “When Senator Bola Tinubu was the Governor of Lagos, he did very well. I think he can carry that into the Presidency. From all indications, if elections will hold in 2023, this is where most Afenifere, who are the silent majority, are gravitating.
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