The Leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, has claimed that the country would not experience anything good until the end of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency.
He said this in an interview published by Sunday Sun, while doubling down on his opposition to Buhari’s election in 2015.
Adebanjo stated that Buhari has never proved to be a competent or democratic person.
The Afenifere leader faulted APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whom he did not name, for taking “the Yoruba to APC” for selfish reasons.
Asked to assess Buhari’s government in view of his 2015 stance, Adebanjo said, “As I have predicted, until he goes away, nothing good is going to happen. He ought to have left five years ago, but because of the lethargy of the press to speak the truth to power, he is still there.
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“The man has never proved to be competent or to be a democratic person. But you are all afraid to call a spade a spade. They are running a dictatorship under a civilian government.
“Who can face him in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and say no to dictatorship? Can the man who took the Yoruba to APC say no? Since 2015, how many times has he gone to Aso Rock? And how welcome was he? How many of the boys he took to Aso Rock are following him now? He is only after the interest of his children and children’s children.”
He said that Afenifere’s stance on power rotation stands, noting that it was the turn of the Southeast to produce Nigeria’s president in 2023.
“I still stand firm on the position of Afenifere on power rotation. The Southwest has had its own fair share of power rotation. Power has been in the North. When former President Musa Yar’Adua died, it moved to the South-south.
“Former President Goodluck Jonathan from the South-south left and Buhari came in. Now, if it is coming back to the South, is it the Southwest that is supposed to come in? Are we the only region in the South? What is the equity there? Is the Southeast not in the South?
“Those who accept naira and dollar from him (Tinubu) can say what they like, but they should attack me on the basis of justice and equity,” Adebanjo said.
Adebanjo was asked why he preferred to back the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi ahead of the candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), which has a stronger presence in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
He said, “That is a question of choice. In fact, I don’t even know that APGA is putting up a candidate. Even if at all I am going to consider other candidates, I will still consider Obi. I have a right to choose a candidate. Those I won’t consider at all are the candidates from the Southwest and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar. It is a matter of principle.”