By Akinwale Kasali
Pan Yoruba Group, Afenifere, has disclosed why it has made a U-turn on the clamour for the restructuring of the nation.
Though, the Group has shown its total support for the decision of Governors in the 17 Southern States in Nigeria to ban open grazing of livestock in the States they control, the Yoruba socio-political Group has said it cannot trust the National Assembly to champion its call for the restructuring of the country.
Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the foremost Yoruba Group, made this disclosure at the General Meeting of the group, held at his Ijebu-Ogbo home town, Ogun State.
His words, “We do not believe in the National Assembly which is a product of this fraudulent Constitution to amend the Constitution.
“It is immoral and illogical for a product of fraud to amend the fraud,” the group insisted.
However, in a communique issued after the meeting, Afenifere backed the Southern Governors’ position on the ban of open grazing, and call for restructuring.
“Afenifere is in total support of the decision of Governors of the 17 states in Nigeria banning open grazing of livestock in any of the States that they control, Afenifere felt that although the declaration by the Governors ought to have come long before now, given the atrocities that have arisen from open grazing, it is better late than never”.
It added that the Group is delighted to note that ‘restructuring’ as a workable recipe for stopping Nigeria from falling apart, is becoming more popular and winning converts on a daily basis.
“We are delighted because ‘restructuring’ is something we have been advocating for a long time.
Adebanjo also renewed its call for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation, saying he had no clue of Nigeria’s problems.
The Group noted that if Buhari failed to quit, he would “plunge the country into a crisis which nobody can foretell its end.”
At the meeting, Adebanjo was unveiled as the new leader of the group after a caucus meeting and a General Assembly.
Arising from the meeting, Adebanjo declared that Buhari had failed woefully and had no clue to the problems facing the country.
Flanked by the Deputy Leader, Oba Olaitan Alaago and the General Secretary, Chief Sola Ebiseni, the Afenifere leader maintained that the group was not clamouring for secession, but true federalism through the restructuring of the country.
He maintained that it was mischievous for the Presidency to accuse advocates of restructuring as secessionists and separatists.
Adebanjo said: “I assert Gen. Buhari has failed woefully, he has no clue to the problems facing Nigeria. He should go now before he plunges the country into a crisis the end of which nobody can foretell.
“Our resolve for the restructuring of the country back to federalism is unshakeable.
“We assert we are no secessionist. It is those who oppose restructuring that are enemies of a united Nigeria. That all opponents of restructuring give impetus to secessionists.
“The clamour for the return of the country to federalism is born out of the obnoxious provision in the constitution which has made economic and political progress impossible and this has been the main cause of instability in the country.”
