Leader of Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has said that presidential aspirants from the South-West geopolitical zone including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, should forget their presidential ambitions.

He said it was the turn of the South-East to produce Nigeria’s next President after the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in May 2023.

The elder statesman made his position known in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday.

According to him, it is an injustice for a South-West President to emerge in 2023 after ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo from Ogun State had ruled from 1999 to 2007; while Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, also from Ogun State, has been in government since May 2015 and would have spent eight years in power by May 2023.

The 94-year old elder statesman added that the South-South zone has also had a shot at both President and Vice-President positions with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan between 2007 and 2010 (as VP) and from 2010 to 2015 (as President).

Adebanjo, however, said for Nigeria to have another President, the country must first be secured.

The nonagenarian said, “Right now, is there a country for them to be President? There must be one country first before you can talk of an election. Is this the country Jonathan handed over to Buhari?

Whether a Southern or a Northern candidate, let us unite everyone. We can’t get everyone united until we change this constitution.

'Are you safe? Talk about security. How am I sure that I won’t be shocked when I go to the police station, when electoral officers, soldiers, and policemen are being shot dead and I can’t travel to Maiduguri safely?

"All those who are clamouring for Presidency, be it Jagaban (Tinubu) or Osinbajo, they should assure us of our safety first, that the country is safe, that we are one, then we talk of who is going to be President.They should forget about their ambitions now until there is safety. Nobody can go to the South-East now, and we are all living in denial.”


Asked if he was supporting Tinubu, Osinbajo, or any President from the South-West, the Afenifere leader said, “How can I back a South-West candidate? That is not equity. Has Obasanjo not done so for eight years?Has Osinbajo not done eight years as VP? Has Jonathan not done five years as President? Is the South-East not part of Nigeria?“We want peace and equity. It is the turn of the South-East. I don’t talk ambiguously. It is the South-East that the thing must go; there is no doubt about that but my anxiety now is that before we say, South-East, have we got a country? Let us settle that before we say the South-East is the answer. I am not ambivalent about it at all.”

He is entitled to his opinion, say VP, ex-Lagos gov’s camps

Pro-Tinubu and pro-Osinbajo groups have however expressed their disagreements with the statement made by the Afenifere leader.

The chairman of the pro-Tinubu group, South West Agenda 2023 group, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, during a telephone interview with The PUNCH, said the rotation principle of the presidency is between the North and South of the country.

He said, “Chief Adebanjo is our leader and a man I respect. He is now in his 90s and has paid his own dues; we are their followers and we are also entitled to our own views and our view is that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should go ahead and contest the presidency.

“The rotation principle in Nigeria is between the North and the South and whenever it rotates to any of the regions, whether South or North, every of the geopolitical zones in that region are free to contest the presidency. Now, it is the turn of the South and we absolutely believe that anybody in the South, including those from the South-West, are free to throw their hats into the ring and challenge for the presidency."

“This is exactly what Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing and he is enjoying tremendous support not only in the South-West which is his own base, but throughout the entire length and breadth, nook and cranny of Nigeria and therefore,no person will sit in one corner and say Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should forget his presidential ambition. Certainly, he will contest for the presidency."

The Convener, Progressive Lawyers for Osinbajo, Dr Kayode Ajulo, explained to The PUNCH that the opinion of Adebanjo does not indicate the position of the Afenifere group.

He said, “The Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not about making emotive statements. I know that if Afenifere wants to say anything, it has to be decided on. Afenifere is not a conclave of what people don’t know what is being done there.The way we have been doing it is that the issue would be deliberated upon by Afenifere and there would be a communique collectively passed. I ask, where is the communiqué of Afenifere saying this?

“For some time now, I have not seen such things from Afenifere. I have not received any notification to this effect and no one else has confirmed receiving any invitation. Baba Adebanjo is entitled to his opinion. But where is Baba Reuben Fasoranti? Where is Baba Sehinde Arogbofa? Where is Chief Sola Ebiseni? Where is Olu Falae’s opinion on this issue? This is not an issue that only one person will just make a sweeping remark. Where did these men deliberate on this issue?

“I am worried that it is being termed Afenifere’s position. Afenifere has procedures, ways and manners such an issue is to be discussed. As it is, I see more of Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s personal opinion which he is entitled to, but please it is clear how the President of Nigerians should emerge.”

Mynd44 Lalasticlala

https://punchng.com/drop-your-presidential-bids-afenifere-leader-tells-tinubu-osinbajo/

Ayo Adebanjo is a man of integrity who speaks the truth at all times. He is a man of wisdom and doesn't mince word when he speaks reason why he is a highly respected Yoruba leader. What he said here is a good advice that both Tinubu and Osinbajo should heed without delay so as not to be on the wrong side of history

You can imagine a 94 year old deciding our fate.

yemmight:
You can imagine a 94 year old deciding our fate.

Are you wiser than a 94 year old? Don't bring curse upon your generation with your uncouth words. Respect the Wiseman

Honest man.

yemmight:
You can imagine a 94 year old deciding our fate.

A reckless comment caused by too much intake of Tinubu's hot urine....


Stay strong.

Nigerians should not discourage any Yoruba .. especially The Yoruba god Tinubu

Is his right .. to contest

Tinubu must be on ballot
Must

We don’t care about party again .. because we already know

Contest he must
And all Yoruba must give him all their vote .. to avoid excuses or twist of stories or Yorubatic narratives.. they sabi twist..

Nigerians must all encourage druggie please ..

Is better we tell him how we love him with our votes
Yoruba

Power to the people
North 2023

Frigga13:
Nigerians should not discourage any Yoruba .. especially The Yoruba god Tinubu

Is his right .. to contest

Tinubu must be on ballot
Must

We don’t care about party again .. because we already know

Contest he must
And all Yoruba must give him all their vote .. to avoid excuses or twist of stories or Yorubatic narratives.. they sabi twist..

Nigerians must all encourage druggie please ..

Is better we tell him how we love him with our votes
Yoruba

Power to the people
North 2023

lmfao

At 94, he has nothing to lose for saying the truth. All the same, my respect sir.

My question for him is this... is SE secure? how will Igbo candidate secure Nigeria when IPOB terrorists hold sway in their region?

Between SW and SE, which one is more secure?.. Igbos should go and fix their mess of a region first before coming to ask for presidency.
We don't want a person that will spend years begging and offering Igbos amnesty and juicy contracts while the county continues to sink.

Nice one

Baba, no one is stopping people from south east to test their popularity.

By this logic, nobody from the North should ever be the president of this country again. East are learners where BH, ISWAP, Bandits and Herdsmen dey.

flokii:
My question for him is this... is SE secure? how will Igbo candidate secure Nigeria when IPOB terrorists hold sway in their region?

Between SW and SE, which one is more secure?.. Igbos should go and fix their mess of a region first before coming to ask for presidency.
We don't want a person that will spend years begging and offering Igbos amnesty and juicy contracts while the county continues to sink.

Adebanjo has no right to tell Yorubas not to contest.No Yoruba appointed him to speak for us.He only expressed his personal opinion as a son of an Igbo woman.

I think Afenifere need to retire these old men and replace them with fresh blood.Imagine Ohaneze telling Igbos not to contest but to leave the stage for Benin man.

If Afenifere truly support Yoruba’s interests,their priority will be to always defend Yoruba interests above all odds.

yemmight:
You can imagine a 94 year old deciding our fate.

He doesnt speak for Yorubas and holds no authority in Yorubaland.The baba don collect money from PDP.

yemmight:
You can imagine a 94 year old deciding our fate.

is he not the age mate with Tinubu, the 94 year old that pisses and poopoos all over the place, and still wants to actively decide our fate as the president?

flokii:
My question for him is this... is SE secure? how will Igbo candidate secure Nigeria when IPOB terrorists hold sway in their region?

Between SW and SE, which one is more secure?.. Igbos should go and fix their mess of a region first before coming to ask for presidency.
We don't want a person that will spend years begging and offering Igbos amnesty and juicy contracts while the county continues to sink.

I have only one question for you. What is equity?

94 year old Ayo Adebanjo is the son of an Igbo woman?
You have really learned a lot from your tutorial with Lai Muhammad.

cocolacec:
Adebanjo has no right to tell Yorubas not to contest.No Yoruba appointed him to speak for us.He only expressed his personal opinion as a son of an Igbo woman.

I think Afenifere need to retire these old men and replace them with fresh blood.Imagine Ohaneze telling Igbos not to contest but to leave the stage for Benin man.

If Afenifere truly support Yoruba’s interests,their priority will be to always defend Yoruba interests above all odds.

AllahIsGarbage:
94 year old Ayo Adebanjo is the son of an Igbo woman?
You have really learned a lot from your tutorial with Lai Muhammad.

Adebanjo’s mother is an Igbo woman.Fact.Who dey do Esusu before 1967 if not Igbos.That is where Adebanjo’s mother was saving her money.

Who appointed adebanjo the spokesman for his village talkless of Yorubaland.....the old man should focus on where he's going.

Pa Adebanjo, why should Tinubu/Osinbajo listen to you?

They are politicians. You have to give them a cogent reason to drop their ambitions for an Ibo man. What will be their benefit?

Personal opinion. Well I blame busybody called punch newspaper that looking for attention from a 94 years old man.

He is not n that is why he chose to support Tinubu that is younger rather than support the kleptomaniac Pandora criminal Peter Obi.

Malory:
Are you wiser than a 94 year old? Don't bring curse upon your generation with your uncouth words. Respect the Wiseman

Frigga13:
Nigerians should not discourage any Yoruba .. especially The Yoruba god Tinubu

Is his right .. to contest

Tinubu must be on ballot
Must

We don’t care about party again .. because we already know

Contest he must
And all Yoruba must give him all their vote .. to avoid excuses or twist of stories or Yorubatic narratives.. they sabi twist..

Nigerians must all encourage druggie please ..

Is better we tell him how we love him with our votes
Yoruba

Power to the people
North 2023

Sounds beggarly, frustrated, and fearful.

cocolacec:

Adebanjo’s mother is an Igbo woman.Fact.Who dey do Esusu before 1967 if not Igbos.That is where Adebanjo’s mother was saving her money.

I doubt if you know what is called, Ajo, Aaro, and Owe.

This is one reason why Nigeria will remain unprogressed for years.A leader is the choice of the masses and not the turn of an ethnic group.

Arrant rubbish

Everyone has the right to contest as a Nigerian, we practice democracy rule

Let the Igbos bring forth their own candidates and stop waiting for them to bring it to them on a platter of gold

Great2017:

I have only one question for you. What is equity?

According to your dictionary, Equity is doing something but asking another person not to do it. Equity is, if there are ten loaves of bread on the table for 10 people to share, you must pick 9 and allow the remaining 9 people to share just only 1. Equity is also having your land kept for you but eyeing that of your neighbour and calling it a no-man's land. Equity to you can also mean taking advantage of others or cheating them in business deals. All these attributes are equity, according to your dictionary, and they can also be described as ability to compete or to show that "you get sense pass them".