*Yoruba not known for injustice – Adebanjo
From Milkisu Babatunde, Lagos
Afenifere the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural association, seems not to be relenting in its call for Nigerians to give the Igbo the opportunity of producing the next President, insisting it is the only fit and proper thing to do at this time in the nation’s history.
Re-echoing the call on Sunday, the body emphased that it was standing on the moral ground of the Nigerian political trajectory to canvass for the outcome, which it said should begin with the zoning of the office to the South-East by all the political parties in Nigeria.
It maintained that such outcome would help in bringing peace to the nation.
The leader of the body, Ayo Adebanjo, who spoke on the issue a few days ago, spoke again on Sunday in Ogun State, maintained that the Yoruba race was not known for doing injustice, explaining that the South East should produce the next President in the spirit of fairness and unity.
“It is a question of principle. It is a question of morality. It’s a question of being inclusive in everything we do. If you want peace, you must have equity,” the elder statesman said in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
According to him, since the South-West had had its turn with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; the South-South with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, political parties should zone the post to the South-East.
“Is South-East not in the south? Is it not in Nigeria?” the Afenifere leader asked, maintaining that the country had always given consideration to every part even during the pre-Independence days.
Emphasising that provisions like the federal character and zoning, were some of the features that had given Nigerians a sense of oneness, he said: “It is because of this inclusiveness we put federal character in the constitution, while still canvassing an urgent review of the 1999 constitution being operated in Nigeria at the moment.
He believes that President Muhammadu Buhari was harbouring a “private agenda” for not pushing for the creation of state police in the country, adding: “Until you change this constitution – it is the problem of the country – you won’t get anywhere and there is evidence that Buhari is not willing because, in my own view, he has a private agenda.”
On State police, he said it is the panacea to tackling the rising levels of insecurity across the country, lamenting the increasing crime rate, adding that “everyday kidnapping; everyday bombing” and other crimes were serious issues, expressing concerns that they may affect the conduct of next year’s polls.
