Former Lagos State governor and national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently organise genuine national conference to halt the country from drifting. Speaking in Ilesa, Osun State, after he was turbaned as Agba-Akin of Ijesha land yesterday, Tinubu said: “Nigerians must sit down round a table and talk. Nigerians have the right to demand another constitution.   To insist otherwise is not to serve the cause of justice and fairness.”

Tinubu said the president must realise that the will of one man, even if he is the president of the country, cannot prevail over the collective will of the people, adding that there was need   to restructure the country for productivity and development.

He maintained that if President Jonathan was thinking a national conference could break up Nigeria, he could be mistaken, as, according to him, Nigerians have resolved to stay together, though under new terms that would deepen democracy, spread development and promote prosperity.

“We have decided to stay united.  We are joined at the hip,” he said.
The former governor cautioned the president to stop dividing the country on the basis of religion and ethnicity, adding that divide-and-rule tactics cannot be lasting solutions to fundamental flaws in the structure of the country.
“Mr. President should stop dividing this country on the basis of religion and ethnicity.  Don’t divide Nigeria between Christians and Muslims.  We need religious tolerance, and inter-faith harmony in this country.  The PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) has no vision for Nigeria.  We must reject their ideas of discrimination. “We want unity in diversity for economic prosperity and not divide-and-rule for political adversity,” he said.
He said although Nigeria had the potentials to be great, the country, as being governed now, may not achieve the socio-economic emancipation that millions of Nigerians desired.

Thanking the Muslims of Ijesaland for finding him worthy of the new title, Tinubu pushed for the use of religion as a tool of advancement, saying that religious leaders from all faiths must see themselves as agents of development, working with political leaders, who seek votes from all sides of the religious spectrum.
“Though born a Muslim, as a politician I secure votes from Christians, Muslims and traditionalists.  I, therefore, call on all Muslim leaders to rise up and uplift the people.  Education is important,” he declared.

Also speaking on the occasion, Osun State Governor, Engr. Rauf Aregbesola, hailed Tinubu for devoting his life and time to improving the welfare of his compatriots, adding that the conferment of the Ijesa Muslim title on him was evidence of people’s appreciation.
He, however, said Asiwaju Tinubu deserved more.
“Since the demise of Awolowo, we have not seen anybody with the charisma and qualities of Asiwaju.  It would be disastrous if we allow this opportunity to slip by,” Aregbesola said.

Calling on the Yoruba and other Nigerians to support the ACN and its leader, the governor said his party was on the brink of an irreversible progressive course in Yorubaland, adding that it would only be a matter