Afenifere expresses delight over Tinubu’s emergence as APC candidate, renews call for restructuring

The Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Wednesday expressed happiness over the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that Tinubu polled 1,271 votes to brush aside the challenges of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who garnered 316 and 235 votes respectively in Wednesday’s election.

In a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, the Afenifere noted that the ex-Lagos State governor’s victory in the APC primary aligned with its demand for political parties to field Southern candidates in the 2023 presidential election.

The group also renewed its call for restructuring, and establishment of a state police in the country.

The statement read: “The choice of a Southerner as presidential candidate by one of the leading political parties in the country is delightful.

“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.

READ ALSO: 2023: Afenifere renews support for South-East’s presidential bid

“For power to move to the South, there must be Southern candidate or candidates, which was why we were strident in our calls on the political parties to field Southern candidates in the forthcoming presidential election. Electing former Lagos State Governor, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to fly its flag, the APC has met that minimum condition of fielding a Southern candidate.

“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 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 operating system must be such that no section or group would be in a position to dominate the other.

“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.”

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