On Wednesday, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide commended the Yoruba socio-cultural organization Afenifere for speaking truth to power on national issues.
According to Ohanaeze, Afenifere’s stance on equity and justice does not surprise him.
The organization went on to say that the Yoruba people have always stood for truth when Nigeria has been at a crossroads.
Ohanaeze, like Afenifere, insisted that the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, won the election.
Remember that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the president-elect.
While reacting to Afenifere’s statement issued on March 28, 2023, following its monthly meeting held at the residence of its leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, in Isanya-Ogbo, Ogun State, Ohanaeze said the group once again demonstrated its courage, tenacity, dedication, robustness, and unwavering commitment to the ideals of pan-Nigerianism and the continued existence of Nigeria without caring whose ox was gored.
Ohanaeze in a statement released through its spokesman, Alex Ogbonnia on Wednesday said;
We are persuaded that the Afenifere’s resolutions as published are fundamental and foundational to the current socio-political crisis gnawing at the heart of Nigeria; and that those resolutions speak truth to the conscience of the powers that be in Nigeria. Ohanaeze supports those resolutions in all ramifications and joins in calling on the President and Government of Nigeria to, as a matter of urgency, restore public confidence and hope in the Nigerian project.
Afenifere’s unflinching stand on the side of equity and justice has not come to us as a surprise given that the organization has, at various times, stood for truth each time Nigeria finds herself at the crossroads.
We are not unmindful of Afenifere’s role in restoring democracy to Nigeria through the platform of the National Democratic Coalition(NADECO). The Afenifere leaders, with alliances across the national divide and the international bodies, launched the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which eventually gave birth to the Committee for Unity and Understanding (CUU), among others.
We thank the Afenifere for telling the world the true position on the February 25 Presidential election, which from available records was won by Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
Furthermore, we commend the Afenifere for its reassurances of security and support to stranger communities in Yorubaland, particularly Lagos State and for reassuring our people that there is no war between the Yoruba and any other group in Nigeria, especially the Igbo.
Ohanaeze also commended the Yoruba group for strongly condemning the “campaigns of calumny and acts of ethnic violence deployed by some politicians and their hired criminal gangs in several parts of the federation during the gubernatorial election, particularly in Lagos State where the election was made to appear like an inter-ethnic war between the Yoruba and the Igbo; which greatly led to voters’ suppression and other forms of brigandage and disenfranchisement.”
Ohanaeze called on other ethnic socio-cultural organizations to learn from Afenifere by standing up for principles of equity and justice.
The group added;
We join Afenifere in restating our confidence in the judiciary with the hope that it will acquit itself creditably in the election litigations presently before it without fear or favour.
We want to place on record that when the history of Nigerian travails is written, Chief Ayo Adebanjo will feature most copiously on the side of justice, nobility, honour, courage, character and integrity.