Yoruba prefer restructuring, not 2023 presidency – Afenifere

* Atiku, Afenifere deceiving South West – APC

In October 2018, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and PANDEF
indicated their resolve to mobilise support for the candidate of
any party ready to restructure Nigeria

The pan Yoruba organisation, Afenifere, has said that the South
West would prefer to vote for a presidential candidate who would
push for the restructuring of the country, over the prospect of a
2023 presidency.

Speaking to Daily Sun yesterday Afenifere spokesman, Yinka
Odumakin, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is deceiving the
South West by promising them the 2023 presidency, a promise the
party also made to the South East.

Odumakin said Yoruba will vote for restructuring over the
prospect of a 2023 presidency because it is the only condition in
which the zone can rapidly develop.

He accused those promising the South West the 2023 presidency of
selfishness, and added that the fact President Muhammadu Buhari
comes from Katsina has not saved the state from insecurity; as
such, Yoruba have nothing much to gain from having the
presidency.

Odumakin said: “I assure you that even the most illiterate of
South West voters understand what restructuring is because they
lived their lives when the Western Region had autonomy.

“They remember that we had the first television station; under
federalism. They know that if Pa Awolowo had to go to Abuja to get
a licence for a television station, the South West would probably
not have had the first station. They know what it means to have
free education, but, Yourba people are now beggars under this
arrangement.

“Yoruba voters prefer restructuring, which would speed up
development instead of a 2023 South West presidency which is
actually a power grab for a few people.

“The 2023 promise of a South West presidency is just about the
presidential ambitions of Tinubu, (Vice President Yemi) Osinbajo
and (Babatunde) Fashola. President Buhari is from Katsina, yet, the
governor of his state, Bello Masari, recently said Katisna has
become inhabitable because it has been overrun by armed
bandits.

“Why has Katisna as a whole not benefitted from the fact that
their son is the president? This present presidential structure
cannot benefit anybody except those who are stealing money, buying
banks, telecom companies, airlines and those who, five years ago
could not afford N2, 000 for transport fare but are now
billionaires.”

Earlier, Lagos State Director General of the Buhari/Osinbajo
Presidential Campaign, Moshood Salvador, accused former Vice
President, Atiku Abubakar and Afenifere of deceiving the South West
with the promise of restructuring. Speaking at his Lagos residence,
yesterday, Salvador alleged the PDP presidential candidate is
insincere and is using the promise of restructuring the country as
a ploy to get South West votes.

He also criticised Afenifere, for endorsing Atiku’s
candidacy.

“It is not in the power of Atiku to implement restructuring; he
can only lie to use it to get votes from the South West.

“After promising that he will restructure if he wins, after six
months, he will tell the country that it would not be possible to
call for a referendum because the National Assembly is not ready to
set itself aside. Atiku knows that restructuring is not possible
but he is just saying it to get votes. Those are the kind of lies
that politicians are known for.

“When these old men from the South West, who are pushing for
restructuring were much younger, what did they do? The one that
joined politics at the age of 27 is now over 90. They didn’t
achieve restructuring when they were younger, is it now that they
are above 90 that they think they can achieve it? We agree that
restructuring is a southern agenda, but, former President Olusegun
Obasanjo was there for eight years and he did not do restructuring
because he knows the truth, which is that it is not possible.

“Goodluck Jonathan was there for five years and he did not do
restructuring. All he was concerned about was oil derivation; which
was more important to the South South where he came from.

“How come it is now the South West that is championing the issue
of restructuring which we all know that is difficult to
achieve?

“Even if we want a referendum, the National Assembly has to be
set aside, but, are they ready to be set aside?

“No. Even if the National Assembly is ready to be set aside and
we are asked to use our voter’s card to vote for or against an
issue on ground, we would still not win because restructuring is a
southern agenda. The zone would lose as the three northern zones
have more registered voters than the three southern zones. Once you
know that this would be very difficult to achieve, you don’t push
your people out to agitate.

“What you need to do is to strategise and carry other northern
states along so that they would know the advantages of
restructuring.”

In October 2018, Afenifere, Ohanaeze N’digbo and the Pan Niger
Delta Forum (PANDEF) indicated their resolve to mobilise support
for the presidential candidate of any political party that is ready
to restructure Nigeria.

On its part, Ohanaeze N’digbo, the apex socio-political body of
the Igbo, also said it would vote for any presidential candidate
who showed a “sincere” intention to restructure Nigeria on assuming
office, a sentiment PANDEF National Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mulade,
said they shared.