Pan Yoruba social political organisation Afenifere has applauded the All Progressives Congress (APC) for picking its presidential candidate from the South, saying it is a welcome development.
Afenifere in a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi said for APC to have settled for a Southerner as presidential candidate was delightful.
The organisation said 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.
“For power to move to the South, there must be Southern candidates. That was why we were strident in our calls on the political parties to field Southern candidates in the forthcoming presidential election. By electing former Lagos State Governor, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to fly its flag, the All Progressives Congress has met that minimum condition of fielding a Southern candidate,” the statement reads.
Afenifere stated that a return to true federalism through the restructuring of the country has been an article of faith for the organisation for a long time.
“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 President 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 operational system must be such that no section or group would be in a position to dominate the other.
‘’In summing up, 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,” it said.
Afenifere stated that in the meantime, the suffocating insecurity situation in the country must be tamed immediately by, among other things, allowing for the establishment of state police, as well as putting a stop to the kid glove manner with which bandits and terrorists are being treated presently by the federal government.
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