Pan Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, has tackled Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over his statement that the presidency must come to the South, especially the South-West.
Afenifere described such a statement as “unfortunate and confirmed the scarcity of statesmanship in our clime particularly faced with the lust for political power.”
The group in a statement issued by the secretary general, Chief Sola Ebiseni in Akure said; ‘’Our worry however is that Akeredolu, even as the chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, would not, in deference to that high pedestal, wean himself from petty politicking which sacrifices equity needed for national peace and cohesion in preference of crass opportunism.”
According to the group, Akeredolu’s vituperation on that occasion was most disastrously bereft of statesmanship and national conciliation.
Afenifere noted that Akeredolu’s clamor for “a southern president was “, especially for South West” was not only most insensitive but also to make a fool of his colleagues outside of South West.”
He stated further; “No wonder then that the governor of Delta in whose office the southern governors’ conference was held was the first to betray the cause by accepting the second fiddle position of the vice president to the detriment of what has turned out to be their feeble declarations.”
His words: “We have no problem with the governor playing to the gallery, as a glorified chief security officer, urging that security forces clamp down on any person or group whose activities he interpreted as capable of disintegrating the Nigerian State because we are no less patriotic and committed to its continuing corporate existence. We are also in the same boat as him that “this country is very important to some of us” and the recognition that agitation and protests are rights protected in a democratic society.”
