Crack in Afenifere as Fasanmi endorses Buhari for 2019

The camp of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere appears divided over the 2019 Presidential election, as a leader of the group, Senator Ayo Fasanmi has thrown his weight behind the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari, against the choice of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by the larger body.

It would be recalled that Afenifere leaders had at the weekend endorsed Atiku in Lagos, describing him as the greatest champion of restructuring from the North.

However, Senator Fasanmi on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti, maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari is still strong to re-contest the presidential race.

The second republic lawmaker also warned some Yoruba leaders, who he said were in the habit of deriding and ridiculing the policies of President Buhari to desist, saying the Southwest has benefited from the APC-led government and that such tendencies were unexpected from the zone.

Read also: Former Kano Gov, Shekarau dumps PDP

Fasanmi stated this in a statement he issued in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday.

According to him, some young politicians, who were elected for higher positions of responsibilities have messed up and disappointed the people through unbridled and insatiable quests for money.

“On the issue of his age as being canvassed by some groups, that president Buhari should not re-contest, many elderly people are leaders of their countries, such as United States. Though, Buhari has advanced in age, he is still capable and he agile to lead Nigeria.

“Many younger people have led this country in the past, and yet what is the result?’ To be old as a Leader of government business should not be the issue, but whether such person is delivering the expected services.

“I therefore advised the Yoruba nation to seek for more relevance with the national government for more infrastructural intervention, ‘more so our sons and daughters are placed in critical positions in the Buhari administration”.

Fasanmi also commended former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande and Otunba Niyi Adebayo, for their leadership roles in making the Yoruba nation more relevant and acceptable in the Buhari’s administration.

“Let me warn some so- called Yoruba groups, to desist from the attempt to draft the Yoruba race into unwelcome national opposition and negative narratives on national events by their destructive criticism of President Buhari.

“It has come to our notice that certain groups have appointed themselves as opposition spokesmen on behalf of the Yoruba nation as if they were elected to do so. This is not the right thing to do.

“How can a group decide never to see anything good in this government? How can a group decide to pit the Yorubas against a government that has its son as number two ?”, he queried.

Fasanmi added: “President Buhari should be eulogised for fulfilling his campaign promises with particular refers to critical sectors like; security, war against corruption and economy.

“He has even done much more particularly, in global politics. Nigeria is no more a pariah and a disdained nation where people think a President can be derogated by few to make him lose election”, he stated.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews…

 

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