Afenifere urges Yorubas to vote massively for Buhari, APC
The group made the call through a motion moved by Sen.
Olabiyi Durojaye on Tuesday at a Yoruba Summit held in Ibadan.
| President Muhammadu Buhari's proceeded to a rally organized by his party the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the commissioning of the Zik's Mausoleum in Onitsha. [The News] |
Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba group led by Sen. Ayo Fasanmi, has called on Yorubas to vote massively for President Muhammadu Buhari and APC in the forthcoming elections.
The group made the call through a motion moved by Sen. Olabiyi Durojaye on Tuesday at a Yoruba Summit held in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the motion was supported by Prince
Tajudeen Olusi (Lagos), Elder Yemi Alade (Ekiti), Prof. Bayonle Ademola
(Ondo), Chief Solomon Akindele (Oyo) and Mr Sooko Adewoyin (Osun).
NAN reports that women group led by
Mrs Kemi Nelson and some other youth groups at the event supported the
motion as moved by Durojaye.
Durojaye said that the motion moved to support
the re-election was in consideration of the manifesto and achievement
recorded by the Buhari-led administration.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was present
at the summit, appreciated the group for their unflinching support to
the administration and the cause of the region.
He urged Yoruba sons and daughters to be
united and sustain the legacies of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo,
advocating a strong voice at the centre for speedy progress of the
region.
The Vice President reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to the sustenance of a government of integrity and prudence.
“Restructuring is useful and
important, but we need to strategise on how to pursue it. We must not
allow some politicians to turn or use the agitation for restructuring to
achieve selfish ends,” he said.
Sen. Bola Tinubu, APC National Leader, expressed support for true federalism, saying he supported all that the group stood for.
Tinubu, who was represented by Prince Demola Seriki, said true federalism was an agenda that the Buhari-led administration stood for and would ensure in its second term.
Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga and Chief Moses Adeyemo, deputy governors of Ekiti, Ogun and Oyo, respectively, pledged their support for the group and true federalism.
Earlier, Sen. Ayo Fasanmi, Afenifere
Leader, said that the Buhari administration had performed very well in
the last three and a half years considering the condition they met the
country on assumption of office.
He expressed happiness that APC was ruling the
entire South west states, saying such would be a good message to
deliver to late leader of the Yorubas, Obafemi Awolowo.
“All we will like to tell the late Yoruba
leader, Obafemi Awolowo, is that his legacies were sustained. We will
celebrate two things on March 6 after the election.
“I am sure that by the grace of God, we will celebrate Awolowo’s birthday and APC’s victory at the polls,” he said.
Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi, the
guest lecturer, said the Yorubas needed to look at the options before
them in the elections and their role in search for a better federation
Adetunmbi, who delivered a lecture titled
‘Restructuring for harmonious and optimal Socio-economic development:
Prospects and Challenges,’ said that Nigeria needed a new type of
restructuring that allows for complete dis-aggregation of population and
demographic statistics, social and economic data.
He said that all the aforementioned needed to
be evolved by state, local government and communities for performance
measurement, improved localised planning and ease of comparative
analysis.
The senator commended the Buhari/Osinbajo
presidency for expanding the scope of federal/state economic relations
from just revenue sharing.
| President Buhari |
Adetunmbi said such would include broader
debate on political economy, job creation, fiscal issues and national
economic policy management.
“For the region to become a continued key
player at the centre requires a careful reflection on how it can achieve
a good fit between regional and national interests.
“This should be in the unbalanced political and fiscal federalism that we currently operate,” he said.
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