The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has distanced itself from what it described as President Bola Tinubu’s bias for the Yoruba in federal appointments while being against other regions.
The group insisted that they do not support Tinubu for appointing Yorubas as head of all arms of the criminal justice system and other sectors.
Afenifere shared its reservations in a statement by its leader and the National Publicity Secretary, Ayo Adebanjo, and Justice Faleye, respectively, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Friday.
They insisted that the development threatened the age-long inter-ethnic relationship and peaceful co-existence in Nigeria.
The statement partly read, “We can never condone the outrageous bias by Tinubu to make Yorubas head of all arms of the criminal justice system (EFCC, DSS, Attorney-General and Chief Justice); the economy (Coordinating Minister of the economy, CBN, Finance, Blue Economy, Digital Economy, Trade, Industries and Investment, Bank of Industry, Solid Minerals); as well as the forces (army, police, customs, immigration, DSS).
“Afenifere can’t use several decades to fight against Fulani hegemony only to support Yoruba or any other hegemony.
“Afenifere bitterly complained that President Buhari’s northern hegemony can’t remain mute on ethnic hegemony, as being perpetrated by Tinubu.
“Buhari was accused of bias for the North, with three regions, not to talk of Tinubu bias not for the South, but a single ethnicity and single region. Our progenitor, Chief Obafemi Awolowo once threatened to curse anyone that tied Afenifere to Yoruba only.”
The group explained that it adheres to clear-cut principles of being social democrats and would not support autocratic leaders.
“By the virtue of our name, Afenifere, meaning those that want good for all humans, and as omoluabi Yorubas, we won’t support any government that engages in undemocratic practices. Nor would we support a government whose first year pushed over 14 million people into poverty with anti-people policies.
“President Tinubu is no stranger to Afenifere, but having backed him into power in 1999, and witnessed his 24-year precedents in Lagos, it would have been wicked and morally irresponsible to support him into power as President.
“This was why the true Afenifere supported Peter Obi and was in charge of his presidential campaign headed by Akin Osuntokun, an Afenifere chieftain,” the statement added.
