‘Emi lokan’ is Tinubu’s private, personal, not Yoruba project – Adebanjo

For the umpteenth time, the pan Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere, has dissociated itself and Yoruba people from the quest of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari as Nigerian President, saying he was on his own in pursuing the project.
The message, was made clear once again by Pa Ayo Adebanjo, its leader, on Saturday in Lagos, where he once again, joined the campaign of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), who has enjoyed massive support at personal and at the level of the respected Yoruba group.
Afenifere, which made its position known since last year, joined other groups in four of the six regions of the country under the aegis of Southern and Middle Belt Forum to give a blanket support for the former Governor of Anambra State, a move which they said was not only to underscore their belief in Obi’s competence to save the country currently on the brink, but to preserve the unity of Nigeria, given that the South East, where he hailed from, had not produced Nigerian President for the first time.
Admonishing Nigerians, that Tinubu did not represent a Yoruba project, Adebanjo, reiterated the same message he made last week, warning that there might not be Nigeria, if Obi did not emerge winner in the presidential election, scheduled for February 25.
Stressing that the Emi lokan (it is my turn) arrangement was between Tinubu and Buhari and not Yoruba people, Adebanjo, told LP supporters at the Tafa Balewa Square in Lagos, venue of Obi campaign’s grand finale that there was no way an agreement struck by two people, could override the interest of more than 200million people or determine their fate.
The 94-year-old Afenifere leader, stressed: “The one who said ‘it is my turn’ is his agreement with Buhari. Emilokan didn’t say it is the turn of the Yoruba. Emilokan’s agreement with Buhari was that when Buhari leaves office, he will take over. Were you there when he said that?”
With a resounding “No,” from the people, the elder statesman, appealed to his audience in the same words he used at various other forums to describe what Nigeria could face in future if the Obi project failed, saying: “I said before that if Obi does not come in as the president, forget Nigeria. The northern elders now say I want to impose Obi on them. No! They want to impose a northerner on us, and we said no.”
Last week, at a meeting of Igbo leaders in Lagos, in honour of George Obiozor, the late leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the South East version of Afenifere, Adebanjo, had explained that Obi losing the election, would mean the end of any opportunity for a non-Christian and a non-northerner to be President again, the same argument he made at the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum in Abuja.
At the meeting, he said: “They are making all sorts of devices to ensure that power remains in a particular part of the country. That’s why they are not even supporting the candidate of their own party. We will give it what it takes. It is either bend or break. If Obi does not win, forget a country called Nigeria.”
(WhirlwindNews)
