Follow Us on Google
From Chukwudi Nweje, Lagos and Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), have reiterated the March 10, 2022 position of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) that the 13 states in the forum will not vote for any political party that presents a presidential candidate of northern Nigerian origin in 2023.
Speaking against the backdrop of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary that produced former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, the groups warned that the major opposition party had lost the support and votes of Southern Nigeria in the forthcoming general election.
Afenifere acting leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo described PDP’s presentation of Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate as an act of betrayal. He said the group would support Southern presidential aspirant.
Also speaking, spokesperson for Afenifere, Mr Jare Ajayi, in a chat with Saturday Sun, also said: “The position of the South and Middle Belt Leadership Forum, of which Afenifere is a staunch member, is that the presidency in 2023 should come to the South. By that time, the presidency would have been in the North for eight years. So, it should revolve back to the South, and that is our position, and Afenifere is still very much on that.
“We are expecting and hopeful that the APC will not play the same card played by PDP. APC will let its presidential ticket be given to a person of Southern extraction. This will guarantee the unity and cohesion of the country. This will allow us to continue to forge a unity towards making every part of the country to have a sense of belonging.”
Another chieftain of the Yoruba organisation, Chief Supo Shonibare, said the SMBLF stands by its position not to support any political party that fields a candidate from the North in 2023.
Shonibare, who is the Acting National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) said: “The SDP aligns itself with the position of the Southern and Middle Belt Forum and has demonstrated this resolve by the fact that other presidential aspirants in SDP stepped down for Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina to emerge as our flag bearer on Tuesday, 31st of May, at our National Convention and Presidential Primaries at Merit Auditorium, Abuja. We will not support any political party that presents a candidate from the North in 2023,” he said.
President of MBF, Dr Pogu Bitrus said the MBF is unshaken in its resolution to support only a political party that fields a presidential candidate from the south in 2023.
He said: “We have already clearly stated that we will work against any political party that presents a presidential candidate from the North. The presidency is supposed to go to the South in 2023. We are going to support a political party that presents a candidate from the South.”
“We are waiting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to conduct its own primary to see whether they will do the needful or continue with the same northern religious politics. The presidency is supposed to go to the south; we cannot continue with a system where the government will turn a blind eye to kidnappers, criminals and all sorts of miscreants who go on killing spree in one part of the country just because it is part of the northern agenda. So, we are going to support a southern candidate,” he said. Meanwhile Secretary-General of Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) Dr Kunle Olajide, has said that it was not unconstitutional for any political party to have its presidential flag bearer from the North.
According to Olajide, “We are operating a democracy. And it is the stand of the people that counts. If majority of Nigerians decide on northern president, I cannot say anything against it. It is the people of Nigeria. I cannot speak for the people of Nigeria. I don’t have a right to do so. Each individual has his own vote, opinion and can decide to speak one way or the other.
“Those that may feel cheated should get ready for another four years to repay those they believed have cheated them. I don’t think there is any cheating here. That is why the presidency is not made a lifetime position. It is for four years. If you think you have made a mistake this time, in four years time , you will have another opportunity to reorganise yourself.”
