Afenifere leader, Adebanjo, counsels Kukah to keep speaking truth to power

Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo on Thursday counselled the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah to keep speaking truth to power.

Adebanjo, who at the ‘2nd Never Again Conference: 51 Years After Nigerian-Biafran Civil War’ organised by an Igbo think-tank, Nzuko Umunna, also advised the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to Kukah because he has noble intentions.

It would be recalled that Kukah has been in the eye of the storm with several individuals and groups condemning his Christmas Day, 2020 scathing comments on the Buhari presidency, alleging that it has failed to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

Ripples Nigeria also reported that a Muslim group, Muslim Solidarity Forum (MSF), asked the cleric to apologise or leave Sokoto, the seat of the Caliphate.

Though the presidency frowned at the quit notice, saying groups or factions must not give quit notices to anyone but must tolerate religious and ethnic differences, it agreed that Kukah offended many with his anti-Buhari remarks.

Adebanjo, while speaking on Thursday, argued that Kukah has good intentions, calling on the elite as well as the pro-Buharists to listen to his observations.

According to him, Nigeria must realise the past to be able to correct the mistakes of the present.

Read also: Ayo Adebanjo: The man and his politics

He said: “The mistake of the past is that we put wrong pegs in right holes. We deny people their rights. We say we are one and we discriminate against each other. Even those who criticise the government are afraid to hit the nail on the head. Thank God for people like Bishop Kukah and I pray that he would live long because people like myself have a very short time to live.

“He is saying it as it is from that part of the country. I hope people who are listening are listening well with good intentions. Let us stop paying lip service to one Nigeria. Let us stop paying lip service to a united country. We must say it and act it,” the elder statesman said.

On the 2023 presidential election, the elder statesman noted that no part of the country has the exclusive right to Aso Villa.

He said further: “Talking about where should the Presidency go at this time, I don’t know. But if we want to be equitable, if we want to have peace and if we want them to be here, why should somebody be a part of Nigeria and you say he has no right to be the President of this country? Why should a section of the country claim that they will choose who becomes the President and the conditions — and you must pay obeisance to them? It is irritating. Such kind of thing cannot continue and you say you want to have peace. There is enough for everybody to share if we don’t want to cheat.”

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