The Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, alongside other organisations, has declared support for a coalition of opposition groups to prevent Nigeria from drifting towards a one-party state.
The groups, however, stressed that any meaningful coalition must uphold the principle of regional rotational presidency.
Their position was made known after a closed-door meeting on the state of the nation with former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Speaking with journalists, Afenifere’s General Secretary, Chief Sola Ebiseni, described the coalition move as a welcome response to the growing risk of one-party dominance.
He recalled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged in 2013 as a coalition aligned with the principle of regional rotation, leading to the election of a Northern president, Muhammadu Buhari, after Goodluck Jonathan.
“Afenifere, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, and the Southern Governors were at the forefront of insisting that only a president of Southern origin should succeed Buhari after eight years – and that is what we have today.
“The fact remains that no credible argument can be made against the South completing its eight-year tenure. This is about regional mutual respect and political stability, not individuals or parties,” Ebiseni said.
Also speaking, former Political Adviser to Obasanjo, Chief Akin Osuntokun, said the delegation held an in-depth discussion with the former president despite his busy schedule.
“It was a consultation with an undisputed father of the nation and global statesman. Our position remains that Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians, and leadership at the highest level must reflect fairness, inclusiveness, and justice.
“No region has an exclusive right to power, and any sense of entitlement to the presidency by a region or ethnic group is unhealthy for national stability and democracy,” he stated.
Other members of the delegation included Mr. John Ughulu, Lagos State Coordinator of the 2023 Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council, and its Secretary, Dr. Folaseye Adabayo.
Source: HallmarkNews | Continue to Full Story…
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