The Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has reacted to the emergence of the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Afenifere observed that the emergence of Tinubu, who comes from the Southern region of the country, was delightful.
Speaking to reporters in an interview, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, said: ‘It is a known fact that the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum, of which Afenifere is a key member, has been in the forefront of those advocating that power must shift to the southern part of Nigeria come 2023.
‘For power to move to the South, there must be a Southern candidate or candidates. That was why we were strident in our calls on the political parties to field Southern candidates in the forthcoming Presidential election. By electing former Lagos State Governor, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to fly its flag, the All Progressives Congress has met that minimum condition of fielding a Southern candidate.’
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Ajayi also pointed out that a return to true federalism through the restructuring of the country has been an article of faith for Afenifere for a long time.
‘It is our hope, indeed our demand, that the next President must get the country Restructured immediately on assumption of office if the present administration under retired General Muhammadu Buhari failed to do so before leaving office.
‘Not only that, the next administration owes us the duty of ensuring that the country is not only safe for everybody, the operational system must be such that no section or group would be in a position to dominate the other.
In summing up, the emergence of a person of Southern extraction is highly welcomed. It is our hope that this will translate into power shifting to the South come 2023.”
He went further to say that the suffocating insecurity situation in the country must be tamed immediately, adding that among other things, allow for the establishment of State Police right now.
“As well as putting a stop to the kid glove manner with which bandits and terrorists are being treated by the federal government today,” he added.