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2019: The Tinubus, S'West PDP Groups In London Secret Meeting, Atiku Joins The Realignment Forces Too

2019: The Tinubus, S'West PDP Groups In London Secret Meeting, Atiku Joins The Realignment Forces Too

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2019: The Tinubus, S'West PDP Groups In London Secret Meeting, Atiku Joins The Realignment Forces Too
New Telegraph - The crisis within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have prompted some of the party’s chieftains in the South-West to commence a realignment with their kinsmen in the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the 2019 elections.

New Telegraph learnt from multiple sources that the alignment moves were at different stages with diverse groups, particularly those who are not pleased with the APC-led Federal Government.


Although a cold war had ensued among the various blocs in the APC immediately after the victory of the party at the 2015 general elections, the relative peace finally got ruptured after the party’s primaries for the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.

The party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s scathing attack on the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, whom he accused of taking side with the eventual candidate of the party, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, against his anointed, Mr. Segun Abraham, brought to fore, the party’s wide gulf.

On the other hand, the developments in the Ondo State chapter of the PDP, where Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), the candidate of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, is currently battling for the ticket with businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim of the Senator Ali Modu Sherrif ’s faction has alerted some party leaders in the zone of a possible plan of political annihilation from some Abuja-based political Turks. Relating the sequence of event to New Telegraph, a source who craved for anonymity said:

“The game has changed and the Northern bloc in the APC appears to have drawn the line against the South-West bloc, hence the need for a fresh move for realignment ahead of the 2019 polls. “It’s nothing new.

The South-West leaders and some governors in the zone from the party are the ones at the forefront of the budding coalition. Don’t forget that South- West is always progressive in nature and this new alignment is aimed at two sets of people; the former allies of Tinubu like the Afenifere bloc and some willing members of the opposition parties, who are ready to key into the process.

“Several accords have been reached and by the time the new path is unveiled, many will be shocked. Two governors in the South-West are involved. In fact, one of them met with the Afenifere recently.”

Choosing to keep mute on whether the alignment would lead to the formation of new party, the source said: “When we get to the bridge, we will cross it, but I don’t think Tinubu’s meeting with Pa Ayo Adebanjo and other Afenifere leaders was on how to form a new party, but on the need to collapse all structures into one for the South-West to speak with one voice.

“We were used and dumped by the Northern bloc of the APC loyal to Mr. President, but we have decided to take the bull by the horn and damn the attendant consequences.

Interestingly, we have the deep sympathy of the people and that is a big factor in the game of politics.” Several meetings have been held between members of the various political divides in the zone.

Though their outcomes were not made public, they point towards the realignment move. Among such meetings were those between Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose.

The former is a loyalist of Tinubu, while the latter is a known critic of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Some Afenifere leaders led by Adebanjo have also met with Tinubu.

New Telegraph also learnt of another meeting between some chieftains of the PDP and the Tinubu bloc for a possible alliance. A chieftain of the party in South-West, who confirmed the meeting, however, refused to give details.

The meeting is said to have held in London. A PDP source disclosed that some APC members in South-West, who feel marginalised in the party, want to pull out.

“The truth of the matter is that certain sections of PDP want to pull out and merge with some aggrieved members of APC. A meeting was held in London apart from several meetings here in Nigeria,” he said.

He added that the picture of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Governors Aregbesola and Fayose at the airport, which appeared in most national papers last week, was not by accident.

The source recalled that Fayose and Aregbesola have been exchanging visits for some time, adding “but let’s see what this turns out to.” It was further gathered that the Ahmed Makarfiled faction of the PDP had been ready for the alliance months back, but for some leaders of the party who would not want the name of the party to be changed.

“They are against the formation of an entirely new party. They are also saying that leaving the PDP now is not the best option,” the source stated. He said the decision arose following the consistent frustration in resolving the PDP leadership crisis, which started last May. “We know all along that there is external influence in what is happening in our party.

Sheriff is work-ing for the APC to destroy PDP. They are the ones sponsoring him. That is why some people want the formation of a new party. But there are others, who are not in support. That is where we are now,” he added.

While the various camps have maintained sealed lips on the matter, an insider source told our correspondent that “Tinubu’s bloc is presently receiving overtures from some gladiators in the South-East comprising PDP and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftains.

This is aside some politicians, who are believed to be out-of-touch in matters concerning the party.” Speaking on the development, the Lagos State chairman of the APC, Otunba Henry Ajomale, told New Telegraph that there was nothing wrong in Tinubu’s bloc aligning with other forces for the progress of the South- West. His words:

“There is no reason why we cannot have realignment of forces to become one and be like we used to be during the Action Group (AG) and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) days.

“I don’t see anything bad in Tinubu seeing Papa Adebanjo, the late Olaniwun Ajayi and other Afenifere leaders and deciding at this time that enough is enough and that they must unite and come together like they were during the Unity Party of Nigeria and Alliance for Democracy (AD) days.”

Adebanjo, who confirmed the moves, also told New Telegraph that there is nothing wrong in Afenifere aligning with the Tinubu’s bloc ahead of the 2019 polls.

“Why not?” he retorted, adding, however, that, “It is not a question of working together; it is about those of them who walked away from those who put them in office for reasons best known to them.

They should think whether they have got the right thing where they went to or not. If they have hit the wall there, the common sense is for them to go back to where they left and we will welcome them. “In Yorubaland, no elderly man will send his bad son to the lion to be killed.

Tinubu has proved to be a disobedient boy; very stubborn. He has seen it now; then we say, he has behaved badly, but we won’t say because he has behaved badly, we will push him to the lion to be destroyed.”

But, former Minister of Transport and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, played down the alignment plot

. “Let those behind the third force come out and announce a party. Political party is not easy to form.I am talking as an organisation man. Even if you have all the rich men of this world, it is not easy to run a political party.

So, we want to see how they want to do it to make themselves an effective third force. But as far as I am concerned, it is too late for me to start jumping ship,” he said.

2019: The Tinubus, S'West PDP Groups In London Secret Meeting, Atiku Joins The Realignment Forces Too
New Telegraph - The crisis within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have prompted some of the party’s chieftains in the South-West to commence a realignment with their kinsmen in the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the 2019 elections.

New Telegraph learnt from multiple sources that the alignment moves were at different stages with diverse groups, particularly those who are not pleased with the APC-led Federal Government.


Although a cold war had ensued among the various blocs in the APC immediately after the victory of the party at the 2015 general elections, the relative peace finally got ruptured after the party’s primaries for the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.

The party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s scathing attack on the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, whom he accused of taking side with the eventual candidate of the party, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, against his anointed, Mr. Segun Abraham, brought to fore, the party’s wide gulf.

On the other hand, the developments in the Ondo State chapter of the PDP, where Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), the candidate of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, is currently battling for the ticket with businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim of the Senator Ali Modu Sherrif ’s faction has alerted some party leaders in the zone of a possible plan of political annihilation from some Abuja-based political Turks. Relating the sequence of event to New Telegraph, a source who craved for anonymity said:

“The game has changed and the Northern bloc in the APC appears to have drawn the line against the South-West bloc, hence the need for a fresh move for realignment ahead of the 2019 polls. “It’s nothing new.

The South-West leaders and some governors in the zone from the party are the ones at the forefront of the budding coalition. Don’t forget that South- West is always progressive in nature and this new alignment is aimed at two sets of people; the former allies of Tinubu like the Afenifere bloc and some willing members of the opposition parties, who are ready to key into the process.

“Several accords have been reached and by the time the new path is unveiled, many will be shocked. Two governors in the South-West are involved. In fact, one of them met with the Afenifere recently.”

Choosing to keep mute on whether the alignment would lead to the formation of new party, the source said: “When we get to the bridge, we will cross it, but I don’t think Tinubu’s meeting with Pa Ayo Adebanjo and other Afenifere leaders was on how to form a new party, but on the need to collapse all structures into one for the South-West to speak with one voice.

“We were used and dumped by the Northern bloc of the APC loyal to Mr. President, but we have decided to take the bull by the horn and damn the attendant consequences.

Interestingly, we have the deep sympathy of the people and that is a big factor in the game of politics.” Several meetings have been held between members of the various political divides in the zone.

Though their outcomes were not made public, they point towards the realignment move. Among such meetings were those between Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose.

The former is a loyalist of Tinubu, while the latter is a known critic of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Some Afenifere leaders led by Adebanjo have also met with Tinubu.

New Telegraph also learnt of another meeting between some chieftains of the PDP and the Tinubu bloc for a possible alliance. A chieftain of the party in South-West, who confirmed the meeting, however, refused to give details.

The meeting is said to have held in London. A PDP source disclosed that some APC members in South-West, who feel marginalised in the party, want to pull out.

“The truth of the matter is that certain sections of PDP want to pull out and merge with some aggrieved members of APC. A meeting was held in London apart from several meetings here in Nigeria,” he said.

He added that the picture of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Governors Aregbesola and Fayose at the airport, which appeared in most national papers last week, was not by accident.

The source recalled that Fayose and Aregbesola have been exchanging visits for some time, adding “but let’s see what this turns out to.” It was further gathered that the Ahmed Makarfiled faction of the PDP had been ready for the alliance months back, but for some leaders of the party who would not want the name of the party to be changed.

“They are against the formation of an entirely new party. They are also saying that leaving the PDP now is not the best option,” the source stated. He said the decision arose following the consistent frustration in resolving the PDP leadership crisis, which started last May. “We know all along that there is external influence in what is happening in our party.

Sheriff is work-ing for the APC to destroy PDP. They are the ones sponsoring him. That is why some people want the formation of a new party. But there are others, who are not in support. That is where we are now,” he added.

While the various camps have maintained sealed lips on the matter, an insider source told our correspondent that “Tinubu’s bloc is presently receiving overtures from some gladiators in the South-East comprising PDP and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftains.

This is aside some politicians, who are believed to be out-of-touch in matters concerning the party.” Speaking on the development, the Lagos State chairman of the APC, Otunba Henry Ajomale, told New Telegraph that there was nothing wrong in Tinubu’s bloc aligning with other forces for the progress of the South- West. His words:

“There is no reason why we cannot have realignment of forces to become one and be like we used to be during the Action Group (AG) and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) days.

“I don’t see anything bad in Tinubu seeing Papa Adebanjo, the late Olaniwun Ajayi and other Afenifere leaders and deciding at this time that enough is enough and that they must unite and come together like they were during the Unity Party of Nigeria and Alliance for Democracy (AD) days.”

Adebanjo, who confirmed the moves, also told New Telegraph that there is nothing wrong in Afenifere aligning with the Tinubu’s bloc ahead of the 2019 polls.

“Why not?” he retorted, adding, however, that, “It is not a question of working together; it is about those of them who walked away from those who put them in office for reasons best known to them.

They should think whether they have got the right thing where they went to or not. If they have hit the wall there, the common sense is for them to go back to where they left and we will welcome them. “In Yorubaland, no elderly man will send his bad son to the lion to be killed.

Tinubu has proved to be a disobedient boy; very stubborn. He has seen it now; then we say, he has behaved badly, but we won’t say because he has behaved badly, we will push him to the lion to be destroyed.”

But, former Minister of Transport and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, played down the alignment plot

. “Let those behind the third force come out and announce a party. Political party is not easy to form.I am talking as an organisation man. Even if you have all the rich men of this world, it is not easy to run a political party.

So, we want to see how they want to do it to make themselves an effective third force. But as far as I am concerned, it is too late for me to start jumping ship,” he said.

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The Man Buhari'll Ensure Succeeds Him, Why Tinubu Should Not Be Rubbished - Pa Olaniwun's N'Tribune Interview Before His Death

The Man Buhari'll Ensure Succeeds Him, Why Tinubu Should Not Be Rubbished - Pa Olaniwun's N'Tribune Interview Before His Death

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Nigerian Tribune - Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, former Commissioner for Education in the defunct Western Region, a foremost lawyer and chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, died in the early hours of Friday. In this interview conducted on Wednesday (2 November, 2016) by Saturday Tribune’s KEHINDE OYETIMI and RITA OKONOBOH, which turned out to be his last, the elder statesman spoke on the state of the nation, the judiciary and the anti-corruption war, among other issues. Excerpts:

Sir Olaniwun Ajayi
As a foremost lawyer, how would you react to the accusation of judges involved in money laundering and corruption?

It’s most disappointing. Again, it is part of the corruption going on in the country, but one least expected that the judiciary should have been involved in this very very ugly enterprise. It is most disappointing. I was devastated to hear that so much. The judiciary is our hope; the hope of everyone in the country. But to think and realise that the people on whom we will rely for hope and salvation would be involved in such a very dirty practice is most terrible. On whether they should be arraigned and tried, the DSS applied Gestapo practice, there is no doubt about that. But the thing is why should our judges be found in that practice? Although the way they have been dealt with, such as going to their houses in the dead of night, that could be described as high-handed. But then, why should the circumstance arise for such to happen? It is very bad.


One of the arrested judges indicted one or two serving ministers in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, particularly noting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) interests be taken care of. Do you think that these indicted ministers should step aside?

They should certainly step aside and that allegation should be investigated. They shouldn’t resume office until they are exonerated. In fact, without anyone forcing them to do so, they should voluntarily step aside and declare that they are ready for probe. Buhari shouldn’t harbour such people because he is out to clean the Aegean’s Stable in this country. It shouldn’t be half and half; he should go the whole hog.

There have also been various allegations against the presidency that the fight against corruption is lopsided. How would you react to such claims and what do you think can be done?

What does the law require? What does the law provide? If we cannot meet the requirements of the law, it should be out. It doesn’t matter who you are. Not too long ago, the former president of Egypt was sent to prison for having behaved improperly. So why not we? We are talking of leaders. What sort of example are they giving our young people? It is very bad. Anybody and everybody involved in this dirty practice should be dealt with according to the law.

Do you believe that the fight against corruption is holistic?

I’m not too sure about that because if it was holistic, the name of the Minister of Transport wouldn’t have been mentioned, as well as one or two others. However, once their names are mentioned, the president should say, ‘brother please go home and get yourself clean before you are considered whether to come back here or not.’  It should be holistic and there should be no sacred cows. If it is done half and half, then it is not clean.

That brings us to the issue of one of the APC national leaders, Senator Bola Tinubu. Some time ago, the president’s wife did say certain interests had hijacked the presidency, insinuating that the likes of Tinubu were not accorded their place in the presidency. Also, recently, foremost Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said they wouldn’t sit back and watch as Tinubu is rubbished. What is your take on that?

Really and truly, Tinubu should not be rubbished because he, Buhari and others worked for the success of APC. So, for him to be sidelined and ignored in the affairs of government and administration is unfair. What ought to be done is that Tinubu should be treated decently because he was more or less the champion of the politicians who brought Buhari to power. He shouldn’t be ignored or maltreated or rubbished. That is not to say Tinubu is a holy man. He has his own weaknesses, no doubt about that. At the same time, he has worked for the party and should benefit from what goes on in the party. But for him to be neglected or relegated to the background, I think it is improper.

Do you see Tinubu as the face of the Yoruba nation?

I don’t see him as such. It’s a bit intricate, in the sense that if Tinubu had behaved in the way expected by Yoruba people, the politics of Nigeria wouldn’t be as it is now. What I mean is this. Alliance for Democracy (AD) came in and through the party, Tinubu became governor. However, when he was well seated comfortably as governor, he rubbished the leaders of the party and in any case, brought the AD into problem, until the party more or less, collapsed. Then, he was looking for alliances from various parties until they formed the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). From that, they jumped to APC. Tinubu was, more or less, promoting self interest as opposed to the interest of the Yoruba people. If he had been consistent in promoting the interest of the Yoruba people, what is happening to him today would not happen because AD would have become a very formidable, strong political party. Of course, he was not alone. With the other governors elected in 1999, they all connived and brought AD to an end. So, that is it.

But Tinubu could not say that he was not warned about allying with the Fulani. He was warned. Those who were, at that time, sounding notes of warning about Fulani coming into power, it’s not that they were so convinced about the suitability of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan was preferred by some people because he was quite easy to talk to. Of course, when he arranged the 2014 National Conference, he promised to implement the decision of the conference, but he was not given the opportunity because he was defeated. Maybe he was properly defeated or he was rigged out of the election, I don’t know. However, as I said, Jonathan was not the fit and proper person to lead Nigeria. He has his own faults which are very serious. See all the mess about corruption during his administration, even extending to his wife. It is an unfortunate situation. However, if care had been taken about allying with Buhari, maybe Tinubu might have been in another situation.

You have repeatedly called on President Buhari to address Nigeria’s diversity, less we disintegrate. When you consider the accusations and counter-accusations about the president being lopsided in appointments, how would you assess that?

Well, I’m not surprised because when he was about to assume the presidency of this country, your colleagues in other newspapers came to me and I told them point-blank that Buhari would not be able to play the game as it ought to be played. What I realised is that, he is a highly disciplined person, being a soldier, but we saw what he did at PTF. Buhari is a Fulani man. The Fulanis are very conscious of power and they don’t joke with power. And of course, Buhari’s treatment of Tinubu has just started. It could be worse for Tinubu realising the political power Tinubu possesses and how he exercises such power. But then, the Fulani are more adroit and more clever about that. I’m sure Nigeria is not unlikely to regret Buhari becoming president because at the end his term, he will leave no stone unturned to ensure that he is succeeded by a Fulani man. I wouldn’t be surprised.

With the events leading up to the Ondo governorship election and the recent protests regarding the emergence of Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), do you see federal might coming to play to influence INEC regarding the eventual outcome of the electoral exercise?

I don’t know. Anything can happen. In Nigeria, politics is not clean and that is unfortunate. You know what happened in Kogi and how the Yoruba man was prevented from becoming governor. It wasn’t by way of balloting or something. It’s a design to ensure that no Yoruba man would be governor of any state in the North. So, that’s the problem. The other day, all the Northern governors went to America. That’s not without a purpose. So, let’s wait till 2019. You’ll see what will happen. What makes a person like me very sad and disappointed is that there’s no true, proper politics and unless and until Nigeria is restructured, there will be no stability or peace or progress in this country.

You have been calling for Nigeria’s restructuring for many years. Why does this appear difficult to realise?

It is because the people of this country don’t get themselves together. I don’t know whether to say they are docile or that they are afraid to exercise their rights. My fear, however, is that whether we like it or not, Nigeria, if not properly restructured, will go the way of Yugoslavia because we are a heterogeneous country and we cannot be properly or safely treated as a homogenous country. There are so many nationalities, cultures, sense of values, culture and, of course, the attitude to religion.

In the light of the forthcoming Ondo election, how would you assess the Edo election, in view of the protests that greeted the announcement of the results?

Well, Edo election is already past and gone but there is very little we can do about that so the people will just accept their fate and move on. However, I’m not too sure about Ondo. Anything can happen.

So, do you think INEC is as independent as its name suggests?

I doubt it very much.

Why do you doubt INEC’s independence?

Except the election that was held in 1993, when they used Operation A4, that was the time rigging was exceedingly minimised. But since then, before and after then, there has been no occasion when our elections are not contested. There has been no occasion when our census figures are not disputed. The government of this country is being, I don’t know, whether guided or being tutored by the West – Britain and America. So, the North has a think-tank in England and America. One of the members of the think-tank in America is the man who recently wrote a book on Buhari, John Paden. So, that is it. What has John Kerry come to do in Nigeria? He came and first visited Kano, then the president, then he met with the northern governors. For what purpose? Why are we kept in the dark? We should know.

But the South-West governors did not seem to raise eyebrows regarding Kerry’s visit…

The governors of the South-West, South-East and South-South still feel themselves subservient to the presidency because from time to time, they visit Abuja on appointments. However, they forget that they are not under the president. The body of persons which can control the state governor is the state House of Assembly; no more, no less. The president has no power to dictate to a state governor. That is the truth of the matter. But then, that would be so if really and truly we are running a federal system. We call ours a system federal but it is unitary.

In the light of Nigeria’s current economic recession, would you also align with the calls that legislators be on part-time duties?

Certainly! What are they doing there to make them entitle to huge amount of remuneration? They are all self-serving; they are not serving the interest of Nigeria. Even the very composition of the Senate is most unfortunate. Yes, they should be paid sitting allowance and nothing more. You have a senator having two, three, four vehicles, then allowance. How many voters in their constituencies have such accumulation of vehicles? You find a senator who had no bicycle before he became senator having houses and cars all over the place. It is a pity, but I want to assure you of something; all those who are making Nigeria difficult to govern, making Nigeria unstable, making Nigeria economically weak, in their self-interests, are going to suffer. They are going to suffer so much for what they have done because what you sow, you reap. If something is wrong and you’re doing it for your own interest, you will be punished for it. We will be deceiving ourselves if we think that the wrong we do will go unpunished. Nobody can escape that. olaniwun1The other time, the children of Israel were in Egypt for many years suffering because they were reaping what they sowed. That was the order of God. But when God was satisfied that they had suffered enough, he raised a leader who rescued them. Moses, with all his weaknesses, was a very courageous leader. God made sure he was brought up for such position and all the obstacles were cleared in the presence of Pharaoh, up till the point of leaving Egypt, even with the crossing of the Red Sea.

How do you think Nigeria got into recession and what do you think is the way out?

Well, you know that so much money has been recovered from those who stole our money both here and overseas. Secondly, we relied on one-land industry – oil. I am very happy that something is happening to that oil. What I would pray to God for is that the oil dries up, then we will learn our lessons. Why should we have one-land industry? Agriculture is there, from which we can have so many businesses. We are principally an agricultural country. Why should we suffer? Why should we hunger? Why should we be unemployed? Few days ago, I was talking to someone and he told me his would-be wife studied communication in the university and now, the wife is doing tailoring because there was no job for her and she is making money from that. There are university graduates in shoe making and furniture. I was reading in the papers today of a Nigerian who performed a medical miracle outside Nigeria. We are missing such people. When they train abroad, they stay away. But then, which country would develop without the use of its intellectuals? That’s the problem. This place is not conducive for work for our sons and daughters. But, that’s the doing of our government. And of course, if we ask the powers-that-be, they would say this is democracy. It is only by word of mouth; we are not practising democracy. All the legs of democracy are crippled – the judiciary, executive, national assembly, even the press and the police. We have a constitution in which we have what we call Code of Conduct. Are we following that?

Days ago, the Senate decided to tinker with the provisions of the act guiding the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Are you satisfied with such, considering the trial of the Senate President and his deputy?

How could I be satisfied? The two you mentioned – the Senate President and his deputy – how did they get to those positions in the first place? Did they get there as one would expect a Senate to be constituted? Certainly not. The presidency is watching the Senate and the Senate is watching the presidency. Everyone is being careful. That is where we are. These people sometimes forget that there is God and that Jesus is operating just as Mohammed is operating. My question now is that if Mohammed were to come now and ask the Senate President if he is running affairs righteously and in the interest of the masses and the country, I’m sure he will be dumbfounded. Same question for all of them.

As a former Commissioner for Education in the defunct Western Region, do you think the proposed 5-year jail term for lecturers caught sexually harassing their students is adequate?

The very fact that such person is going to jail is enough, even for one day. Then, he has scored a very black mark for himself and his family.

We are approaching 2019. What mood do you foresee for the major political parties?

Anything can happen. It is possible for some conflict and unrest to arise. I know this is a country which God Almighty loves so much, but we are behaving like children who have no home training. We just do things as we like. It is a great pity. Then of course, it won’t be a problem to God Almighty to get rid of those who are here completely and put some other people here. I used to read about the Lost Continent. See also the example of Sodom and Gomorrah. It can happen anywhere. Of course, I want to assure you that the role which the West is playing in the affairs of their former colonies, they are going to pay for it. See the example of Egypt, where everything in ancient times began. How about the Roman and Greek Empires today? Empires rise and they fall. I don’t think there’s any country so blessed like America but they will go down. When, I don’t know. But they have to pay as a consequence of what they’re doing. To all of us, it was a great surprise for a black man to become the president of America. However, there was a lesson which President Barack Obama should have learnt which he unfortunately didn’t. It was to show the world that God was in charge. Obama made some important achievements. However, when preparing for second term, he gave some support to homosexual relations, which is against what God wanted. They won’t go unpunished for that. The punishment will be upon the black people. It will take a very long time for another black man to become president of the USA because we abused the opportunity God gave us.

What is your take on the two major USA presidential candidates,  Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump?

Well, I prayerfully hope that Hilary would win. She is more cultured in the way she conducted her campaign. If Trump wins, then maybe you and I would be in very serious trouble. The way he talks, behaves, is unlike a president. Unfortunately, the contest is very close. However, I hope and pray that Hilary wins.

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Nigerian Tribune - Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, former Commissioner for Education in the defunct Western Region, a foremost lawyer and chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, died in the early hours of Friday. In this interview conducted on Wednesday (2 November, 2016) by Saturday Tribune’s KEHINDE OYETIMI and RITA OKONOBOH, which turned out to be his last, the elder statesman spoke on the state of the nation, the judiciary and the anti-corruption war, among other issues. Excerpts:

Sir Olaniwun Ajayi
As a foremost lawyer, how would you react to the accusation of judges involved in money laundering and corruption?

It’s most disappointing. Again, it is part of the corruption going on in the country, but one least expected that the judiciary should have been involved in this very very ugly enterprise. It is most disappointing. I was devastated to hear that so much. The judiciary is our hope; the hope of everyone in the country. But to think and realise that the people on whom we will rely for hope and salvation would be involved in such a very dirty practice is most terrible. On whether they should be arraigned and tried, the DSS applied Gestapo practice, there is no doubt about that. But the thing is why should our judges be found in that practice? Although the way they have been dealt with, such as going to their houses in the dead of night, that could be described as high-handed. But then, why should the circumstance arise for such to happen? It is very bad.


One of the arrested judges indicted one or two serving ministers in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, particularly noting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) interests be taken care of. Do you think that these indicted ministers should step aside?

They should certainly step aside and that allegation should be investigated. They shouldn’t resume office until they are exonerated. In fact, without anyone forcing them to do so, they should voluntarily step aside and declare that they are ready for probe. Buhari shouldn’t harbour such people because he is out to clean the Aegean’s Stable in this country. It shouldn’t be half and half; he should go the whole hog.

There have also been various allegations against the presidency that the fight against corruption is lopsided. How would you react to such claims and what do you think can be done?

What does the law require? What does the law provide? If we cannot meet the requirements of the law, it should be out. It doesn’t matter who you are. Not too long ago, the former president of Egypt was sent to prison for having behaved improperly. So why not we? We are talking of leaders. What sort of example are they giving our young people? It is very bad. Anybody and everybody involved in this dirty practice should be dealt with according to the law.

Do you believe that the fight against corruption is holistic?

I’m not too sure about that because if it was holistic, the name of the Minister of Transport wouldn’t have been mentioned, as well as one or two others. However, once their names are mentioned, the president should say, ‘brother please go home and get yourself clean before you are considered whether to come back here or not.’  It should be holistic and there should be no sacred cows. If it is done half and half, then it is not clean.

That brings us to the issue of one of the APC national leaders, Senator Bola Tinubu. Some time ago, the president’s wife did say certain interests had hijacked the presidency, insinuating that the likes of Tinubu were not accorded their place in the presidency. Also, recently, foremost Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said they wouldn’t sit back and watch as Tinubu is rubbished. What is your take on that?

Really and truly, Tinubu should not be rubbished because he, Buhari and others worked for the success of APC. So, for him to be sidelined and ignored in the affairs of government and administration is unfair. What ought to be done is that Tinubu should be treated decently because he was more or less the champion of the politicians who brought Buhari to power. He shouldn’t be ignored or maltreated or rubbished. That is not to say Tinubu is a holy man. He has his own weaknesses, no doubt about that. At the same time, he has worked for the party and should benefit from what goes on in the party. But for him to be neglected or relegated to the background, I think it is improper.

Do you see Tinubu as the face of the Yoruba nation?

I don’t see him as such. It’s a bit intricate, in the sense that if Tinubu had behaved in the way expected by Yoruba people, the politics of Nigeria wouldn’t be as it is now. What I mean is this. Alliance for Democracy (AD) came in and through the party, Tinubu became governor. However, when he was well seated comfortably as governor, he rubbished the leaders of the party and in any case, brought the AD into problem, until the party more or less, collapsed. Then, he was looking for alliances from various parties until they formed the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). From that, they jumped to APC. Tinubu was, more or less, promoting self interest as opposed to the interest of the Yoruba people. If he had been consistent in promoting the interest of the Yoruba people, what is happening to him today would not happen because AD would have become a very formidable, strong political party. Of course, he was not alone. With the other governors elected in 1999, they all connived and brought AD to an end. So, that is it.

But Tinubu could not say that he was not warned about allying with the Fulani. He was warned. Those who were, at that time, sounding notes of warning about Fulani coming into power, it’s not that they were so convinced about the suitability of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan was preferred by some people because he was quite easy to talk to. Of course, when he arranged the 2014 National Conference, he promised to implement the decision of the conference, but he was not given the opportunity because he was defeated. Maybe he was properly defeated or he was rigged out of the election, I don’t know. However, as I said, Jonathan was not the fit and proper person to lead Nigeria. He has his own faults which are very serious. See all the mess about corruption during his administration, even extending to his wife. It is an unfortunate situation. However, if care had been taken about allying with Buhari, maybe Tinubu might have been in another situation.

You have repeatedly called on President Buhari to address Nigeria’s diversity, less we disintegrate. When you consider the accusations and counter-accusations about the president being lopsided in appointments, how would you assess that?

Well, I’m not surprised because when he was about to assume the presidency of this country, your colleagues in other newspapers came to me and I told them point-blank that Buhari would not be able to play the game as it ought to be played. What I realised is that, he is a highly disciplined person, being a soldier, but we saw what he did at PTF. Buhari is a Fulani man. The Fulanis are very conscious of power and they don’t joke with power. And of course, Buhari’s treatment of Tinubu has just started. It could be worse for Tinubu realising the political power Tinubu possesses and how he exercises such power. But then, the Fulani are more adroit and more clever about that. I’m sure Nigeria is not unlikely to regret Buhari becoming president because at the end his term, he will leave no stone unturned to ensure that he is succeeded by a Fulani man. I wouldn’t be surprised.

With the events leading up to the Ondo governorship election and the recent protests regarding the emergence of Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), do you see federal might coming to play to influence INEC regarding the eventual outcome of the electoral exercise?

I don’t know. Anything can happen. In Nigeria, politics is not clean and that is unfortunate. You know what happened in Kogi and how the Yoruba man was prevented from becoming governor. It wasn’t by way of balloting or something. It’s a design to ensure that no Yoruba man would be governor of any state in the North. So, that’s the problem. The other day, all the Northern governors went to America. That’s not without a purpose. So, let’s wait till 2019. You’ll see what will happen. What makes a person like me very sad and disappointed is that there’s no true, proper politics and unless and until Nigeria is restructured, there will be no stability or peace or progress in this country.

You have been calling for Nigeria’s restructuring for many years. Why does this appear difficult to realise?

It is because the people of this country don’t get themselves together. I don’t know whether to say they are docile or that they are afraid to exercise their rights. My fear, however, is that whether we like it or not, Nigeria, if not properly restructured, will go the way of Yugoslavia because we are a heterogeneous country and we cannot be properly or safely treated as a homogenous country. There are so many nationalities, cultures, sense of values, culture and, of course, the attitude to religion.

In the light of the forthcoming Ondo election, how would you assess the Edo election, in view of the protests that greeted the announcement of the results?

Well, Edo election is already past and gone but there is very little we can do about that so the people will just accept their fate and move on. However, I’m not too sure about Ondo. Anything can happen.

So, do you think INEC is as independent as its name suggests?

I doubt it very much.

Why do you doubt INEC’s independence?

Except the election that was held in 1993, when they used Operation A4, that was the time rigging was exceedingly minimised. But since then, before and after then, there has been no occasion when our elections are not contested. There has been no occasion when our census figures are not disputed. The government of this country is being, I don’t know, whether guided or being tutored by the West – Britain and America. So, the North has a think-tank in England and America. One of the members of the think-tank in America is the man who recently wrote a book on Buhari, John Paden. So, that is it. What has John Kerry come to do in Nigeria? He came and first visited Kano, then the president, then he met with the northern governors. For what purpose? Why are we kept in the dark? We should know.

But the South-West governors did not seem to raise eyebrows regarding Kerry’s visit…

The governors of the South-West, South-East and South-South still feel themselves subservient to the presidency because from time to time, they visit Abuja on appointments. However, they forget that they are not under the president. The body of persons which can control the state governor is the state House of Assembly; no more, no less. The president has no power to dictate to a state governor. That is the truth of the matter. But then, that would be so if really and truly we are running a federal system. We call ours a system federal but it is unitary.

In the light of Nigeria’s current economic recession, would you also align with the calls that legislators be on part-time duties?

Certainly! What are they doing there to make them entitle to huge amount of remuneration? They are all self-serving; they are not serving the interest of Nigeria. Even the very composition of the Senate is most unfortunate. Yes, they should be paid sitting allowance and nothing more. You have a senator having two, three, four vehicles, then allowance. How many voters in their constituencies have such accumulation of vehicles? You find a senator who had no bicycle before he became senator having houses and cars all over the place. It is a pity, but I want to assure you of something; all those who are making Nigeria difficult to govern, making Nigeria unstable, making Nigeria economically weak, in their self-interests, are going to suffer. They are going to suffer so much for what they have done because what you sow, you reap. If something is wrong and you’re doing it for your own interest, you will be punished for it. We will be deceiving ourselves if we think that the wrong we do will go unpunished. Nobody can escape that. olaniwun1The other time, the children of Israel were in Egypt for many years suffering because they were reaping what they sowed. That was the order of God. But when God was satisfied that they had suffered enough, he raised a leader who rescued them. Moses, with all his weaknesses, was a very courageous leader. God made sure he was brought up for such position and all the obstacles were cleared in the presence of Pharaoh, up till the point of leaving Egypt, even with the crossing of the Red Sea.

How do you think Nigeria got into recession and what do you think is the way out?

Well, you know that so much money has been recovered from those who stole our money both here and overseas. Secondly, we relied on one-land industry – oil. I am very happy that something is happening to that oil. What I would pray to God for is that the oil dries up, then we will learn our lessons. Why should we have one-land industry? Agriculture is there, from which we can have so many businesses. We are principally an agricultural country. Why should we suffer? Why should we hunger? Why should we be unemployed? Few days ago, I was talking to someone and he told me his would-be wife studied communication in the university and now, the wife is doing tailoring because there was no job for her and she is making money from that. There are university graduates in shoe making and furniture. I was reading in the papers today of a Nigerian who performed a medical miracle outside Nigeria. We are missing such people. When they train abroad, they stay away. But then, which country would develop without the use of its intellectuals? That’s the problem. This place is not conducive for work for our sons and daughters. But, that’s the doing of our government. And of course, if we ask the powers-that-be, they would say this is democracy. It is only by word of mouth; we are not practising democracy. All the legs of democracy are crippled – the judiciary, executive, national assembly, even the press and the police. We have a constitution in which we have what we call Code of Conduct. Are we following that?

Days ago, the Senate decided to tinker with the provisions of the act guiding the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Are you satisfied with such, considering the trial of the Senate President and his deputy?

How could I be satisfied? The two you mentioned – the Senate President and his deputy – how did they get to those positions in the first place? Did they get there as one would expect a Senate to be constituted? Certainly not. The presidency is watching the Senate and the Senate is watching the presidency. Everyone is being careful. That is where we are. These people sometimes forget that there is God and that Jesus is operating just as Mohammed is operating. My question now is that if Mohammed were to come now and ask the Senate President if he is running affairs righteously and in the interest of the masses and the country, I’m sure he will be dumbfounded. Same question for all of them.

As a former Commissioner for Education in the defunct Western Region, do you think the proposed 5-year jail term for lecturers caught sexually harassing their students is adequate?

The very fact that such person is going to jail is enough, even for one day. Then, he has scored a very black mark for himself and his family.

We are approaching 2019. What mood do you foresee for the major political parties?

Anything can happen. It is possible for some conflict and unrest to arise. I know this is a country which God Almighty loves so much, but we are behaving like children who have no home training. We just do things as we like. It is a great pity. Then of course, it won’t be a problem to God Almighty to get rid of those who are here completely and put some other people here. I used to read about the Lost Continent. See also the example of Sodom and Gomorrah. It can happen anywhere. Of course, I want to assure you that the role which the West is playing in the affairs of their former colonies, they are going to pay for it. See the example of Egypt, where everything in ancient times began. How about the Roman and Greek Empires today? Empires rise and they fall. I don’t think there’s any country so blessed like America but they will go down. When, I don’t know. But they have to pay as a consequence of what they’re doing. To all of us, it was a great surprise for a black man to become the president of America. However, there was a lesson which President Barack Obama should have learnt which he unfortunately didn’t. It was to show the world that God was in charge. Obama made some important achievements. However, when preparing for second term, he gave some support to homosexual relations, which is against what God wanted. They won’t go unpunished for that. The punishment will be upon the black people. It will take a very long time for another black man to become president of the USA because we abused the opportunity God gave us.

What is your take on the two major USA presidential candidates,  Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump?

Well, I prayerfully hope that Hilary would win. She is more cultured in the way she conducted her campaign. If Trump wins, then maybe you and I would be in very serious trouble. The way he talks, behaves, is unlike a president. Unfortunately, the contest is very close. However, I hope and pray that Hilary wins.

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The Grievous MISTAKE Tinubu Made, Why He Can't Be Yoruba Leader - Afenifere Chieftain, Pa Olaniwun Reveals 48 Hours To His Death

The Grievous MISTAKE Tinubu Made, Why He Can't Be Yoruba Leader - Afenifere Chieftain, Pa Olaniwun Reveals 48 Hours To His Death

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Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, a chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, former Commissioner for Education in the defunct Western Region, a foremost lawyer has said the embattled national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot be the face of Yoruba nation due to some grievous political mistake he has made in the past

Pa Olanihun who died on Friday, but 48 hours to his death revealed to Nigerian Tribune in a no hold barred interview why Tinubu cannot be the face of Yoruba Nation, among other burning issues of national interest


"I don’t see him as such. It’s a bit intricate, in the sense that if Tinubu had behaved in the way expected by Yoruba people, the politics of Nigeria wouldn’t be as it is now."

"What I mean is this. Alliance for Democracy (AD) came in and through the party, Tinubu became governor. However, when he was well seated comfortably as governor, he rubbished the leaders of the party and in any case, brought the AD into problem, until the party more or less, collapsed. Then, he was looking for alliances from various parties until they formed the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). From that, they jumped to APC."

"Tinubu was, more or less, promoting self-interest as opposed to the interest of the Yoruba people. If he had been consistent in promoting the interest of the Yoruba people, what is happening to him today would not happen because AD would have become a very formidable, strong political party. Of course, he was not alone. With the other governors elected in 1999, they all connived and brought AD to an end. So, that is it."

"But Tinubu could not say that he was not warned about allying with the Fulani. He was warned. Those who were, at that time, sounding notes of warning about Fulani coming into power."

On the perceived poor treatment meted on Tinubu in the APC, Pa Olahun said: 

'Really and truly, Tinubu should not be rubbished because he, Buhari and others worked for the success of APC. So, for him to be sidelined and ignored in the affairs of government and administration is unfair."

"What ought to be done is that Tinubu should be treated decently because he was more or less the champion of the politicians who brought Buhari to power. He shouldn’t be ignored or maltreated or rubbished. That is not to say Tinubu is a holy man. He has his own weaknesses, no doubt about that. At the same time, he has worked for the party and should benefit from what goes on in the party. But for him to be neglected or relegated to the background, I think it is improper."

Excerpts From Nigerian Tribune

Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, a chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, former Commissioner for Education in the defunct Western Region, a foremost lawyer has said the embattled national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot be the face of Yoruba nation due to some grievous political mistake he has made in the past

Pa Olanihun who died on Friday, but 48 hours to his death revealed to Nigerian Tribune in a no hold barred interview why Tinubu cannot be the face of Yoruba Nation, among other burning issues of national interest


"I don’t see him as such. It’s a bit intricate, in the sense that if Tinubu had behaved in the way expected by Yoruba people, the politics of Nigeria wouldn’t be as it is now."

"What I mean is this. Alliance for Democracy (AD) came in and through the party, Tinubu became governor. However, when he was well seated comfortably as governor, he rubbished the leaders of the party and in any case, brought the AD into problem, until the party more or less, collapsed. Then, he was looking for alliances from various parties until they formed the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). From that, they jumped to APC."

"Tinubu was, more or less, promoting self-interest as opposed to the interest of the Yoruba people. If he had been consistent in promoting the interest of the Yoruba people, what is happening to him today would not happen because AD would have become a very formidable, strong political party. Of course, he was not alone. With the other governors elected in 1999, they all connived and brought AD to an end. So, that is it."

"But Tinubu could not say that he was not warned about allying with the Fulani. He was warned. Those who were, at that time, sounding notes of warning about Fulani coming into power."

On the perceived poor treatment meted on Tinubu in the APC, Pa Olahun said: 

'Really and truly, Tinubu should not be rubbished because he, Buhari and others worked for the success of APC. So, for him to be sidelined and ignored in the affairs of government and administration is unfair."

"What ought to be done is that Tinubu should be treated decently because he was more or less the champion of the politicians who brought Buhari to power. He shouldn’t be ignored or maltreated or rubbished. That is not to say Tinubu is a holy man. He has his own weaknesses, no doubt about that. At the same time, he has worked for the party and should benefit from what goes on in the party. But for him to be neglected or relegated to the background, I think it is improper."

Excerpts From Nigerian Tribune

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BREAKING: Afenifere Chieftain, Olaniwun Dies; Predicts Buhari's Successor 48 Before Death

BREAKING: Afenifere Chieftain, Olaniwun Dies; Predicts Buhari's Successor 48 Before Death

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Olaniwun Ajayi,
Nigerian Tribune - Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, a great Yoruba icon, and chieftain of Afenifere, a pan Yoruba socio-political group, is dead, aged 91.

As if he knew death was lurking around the corner, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, during an exclusive interview he granted Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, he spoke on prevailing national issues and revealed certain things that will happen as the country progresses into another election year in 2019.

In the exclusive interview, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, gave an insight into what will happen after Buhari’s presidency.



The late nonagenarian literally predicted how President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor will emerge, while he also spoke on the pact between the North and a think tank based in the United States and United Kingdom.

He passed on before 12 midnight on Thursday, at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos at the ripe age of 91.

Details later

Olaniwun Ajayi,
Nigerian Tribune - Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, a great Yoruba icon, and chieftain of Afenifere, a pan Yoruba socio-political group, is dead, aged 91.

As if he knew death was lurking around the corner, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, during an exclusive interview he granted Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, he spoke on prevailing national issues and revealed certain things that will happen as the country progresses into another election year in 2019.

In the exclusive interview, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, gave an insight into what will happen after Buhari’s presidency.



The late nonagenarian literally predicted how President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor will emerge, while he also spoke on the pact between the North and a think tank based in the United States and United Kingdom.

He passed on before 12 midnight on Thursday, at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos at the ripe age of 91.

Details later

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Ohaneze, Afinifere Attack Buhari, Say Nigeria's Unity Not By Force

Ohaneze, Afinifere Attack Buhari, Say Nigeria's Unity Not By Force

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Following President Muhammadu Buhari reaffirmation on Sallah that the unity of Nigeria in not negotiable, the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the pan-Yoruba socio-political body, Afenifere, have faulted the position of the President on his position, stating Nigeria's oneness is not by force.

Buhari had said these when Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello, led residents of the FCT to pay the President Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

The organisations, on Wednesday, told Buhari that the unity of the country was negotiable.

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka had, on Tuesday last week, described the oneness of Nigeria as “very negotiable”.

The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, believed Buhari might not be reading the mood of the nation correctly.

Odumakin in an interview according to Punch Newspaper said, “I think the President is a sincere man but he may not be reading the mood correctly. The country is divided under him than before. Amalgamation and armed dialogue are going on all around us over the unity of Nigeria which many sections perceive has treated them unfairly.

“To continue to insist that the unity is not negotiable is aping that bird which buries its head in the sand and believes, because it is seeing nobody, it has become invisible too.”

Similarly, the Ohaneze, the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, aligned with Afenifere’s position, saying the unity of Nigeria was negotiable, saying the current structure of Nigeria had not favoured all parts of the country, Punch Newspaper says

According to him, Nigeria’s unity should be subjected to periodic review.

The OYC leader noted that the Igbo, as a group, canvassed the restructuring of the country during the last constitutional conference.

Isiguzoro said, “We (Ohanaeze Ndigbo) believe that Nigeria’s unity is negotiable. The principles and structures on the co-existence of the various nationalities that make up the country should be reviewed periodically.

“At the moment, the structure that is in place is not in favour of everybody.

“Those that it is favouring are the ones who want the status quo to be maintained, but those it has not favoured, like the Igbo, are open to a negotiation of the country’s unity.”

He added, “The Igbo demanded restructuring at the last constitutional conference and we are still holding on to that demand. We believe Nigeria’s unity should be subject to periodic review.

“We are not calling for secession, but a periodic review of the terms of the country’s unity is necessary for peaceful coexistence, otherwise agitations for separation would continue to grow.”


Following President Muhammadu Buhari reaffirmation on Sallah that the unity of Nigeria in not negotiable, the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the pan-Yoruba socio-political body, Afenifere, have faulted the position of the President on his position, stating Nigeria's oneness is not by force.

Buhari had said these when Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello, led residents of the FCT to pay the President Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

The organisations, on Wednesday, told Buhari that the unity of the country was negotiable.

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka had, on Tuesday last week, described the oneness of Nigeria as “very negotiable”.

The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, believed Buhari might not be reading the mood of the nation correctly.

Odumakin in an interview according to Punch Newspaper said, “I think the President is a sincere man but he may not be reading the mood correctly. The country is divided under him than before. Amalgamation and armed dialogue are going on all around us over the unity of Nigeria which many sections perceive has treated them unfairly.

“To continue to insist that the unity is not negotiable is aping that bird which buries its head in the sand and believes, because it is seeing nobody, it has become invisible too.”

Similarly, the Ohaneze, the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, aligned with Afenifere’s position, saying the unity of Nigeria was negotiable, saying the current structure of Nigeria had not favoured all parts of the country, Punch Newspaper says

According to him, Nigeria’s unity should be subjected to periodic review.

The OYC leader noted that the Igbo, as a group, canvassed the restructuring of the country during the last constitutional conference.

Isiguzoro said, “We (Ohanaeze Ndigbo) believe that Nigeria’s unity is negotiable. The principles and structures on the co-existence of the various nationalities that make up the country should be reviewed periodically.

“At the moment, the structure that is in place is not in favour of everybody.

“Those that it is favouring are the ones who want the status quo to be maintained, but those it has not favoured, like the Igbo, are open to a negotiation of the country’s unity.”

He added, “The Igbo demanded restructuring at the last constitutional conference and we are still holding on to that demand. We believe Nigeria’s unity should be subject to periodic review.

“We are not calling for secession, but a periodic review of the terms of the country’s unity is necessary for peaceful coexistence, otherwise agitations for separation would continue to grow.”


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RESTRUCTURING Nigeria: Presidency, APC Shuns Atiku, Afenifere's Call

RESTRUCTURING Nigeria: Presidency, APC Shuns Atiku, Afenifere's Call

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The Presidency and the ruling All progressives Congress, APC have shunned the idea to restructuring Nigeria despite calls from well-meaning Nigerians, the latest from the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as a means to tackle the ongoing challenges, Punch Newspaper reports on Sunday.

The APC Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun reportedly said restructuring the nation not a priority of the party at this trying time, rather, the administration is currently focused on rebuilding the economy, creating jobs and ensuring the security of lives and property, he said to Punch Newspaper.

Also, the Presidency through the spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina on Saturday, in an interview with Punch Newspaper buttressed the party's stance saying it was on the same page with the Party.


Odigie-Oyegun noted that there were several challenges the administration was currently grappling with.

He said, “To bring this additional issue (restructuring) – is not the wisest thing for a nation that is struggling to stabilise to go into an unnecessary diversion at this point.

“Nothing is wrong with the idea but at this time, it is best for us to concentrate on our priorities. As a party, our priority right now is to rebuild the economy, create jobs and deal with the security problems at hand.

“And with what is happening in the Niger Delta you can see that there is so much to do. We must get our priority right some day we will come to that.”

He pleaded with Nigerians not to lose hope because the current challenges were temporary while appealing to them to continue to give unwavering support  for the Buhari-led administration to enable it to deliver on its mandate.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had, on Tuesday, advocated the restructuring of the country to ensure the development and growth of the federating units.

“Agitations by many right-thinking Nigerians call for a restructuring and a renewal of our federation to make it less centralised, less suffocating and less dictatorial in the affairs of our country’s constituent units and localities,” the former vice-president had said at a book presentation, “We are all Biafrans”, in Abuja.

Eminent Nigerians such as a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and an ex-Chairman of the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, Maj. Gen. Ishola Williams (retd.), as well as groups such as Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, and the pan-Igbo umbrella body, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had also supported Atiku’s call.

When asked about the Presidency’s position on the calls, Adesina referred our correspondent to the ruling party’s roadmap for the country.

He said, “The governing party, the APC, has a position on restructuring in its roadmap for the country. Please consult the document.”

Our correspondent’s online check of the party’s document titled “Roadmap to a new Nigeria” showed that the closest information to the issue of restructuring was contained in a section titled “Strengthen peace, security and Foreign Policy.”

Under that section, the APC listed its roadmap for peace, security and foreign policy to include; to enable states to have their own local police forces that address the special needs of each community, including community policing initiatives that restore trust among local citizens; establishing a serious crime squad with state-of-the-art training and equipment to combat terrorism, militancy and ethno-religious communal clashes; and to provide a comprehensive compensation plan for victims of ethno-religious crisis, communal clashes and terrorism.

Credit: Punch Newspaper
The Presidency and the ruling All progressives Congress, APC have shunned the idea to restructuring Nigeria despite calls from well-meaning Nigerians, the latest from the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as a means to tackle the ongoing challenges, Punch Newspaper reports on Sunday.

The APC Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun reportedly said restructuring the nation not a priority of the party at this trying time, rather, the administration is currently focused on rebuilding the economy, creating jobs and ensuring the security of lives and property, he said to Punch Newspaper.

Also, the Presidency through the spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina on Saturday, in an interview with Punch Newspaper buttressed the party's stance saying it was on the same page with the Party.


Odigie-Oyegun noted that there were several challenges the administration was currently grappling with.

He said, “To bring this additional issue (restructuring) – is not the wisest thing for a nation that is struggling to stabilise to go into an unnecessary diversion at this point.

“Nothing is wrong with the idea but at this time, it is best for us to concentrate on our priorities. As a party, our priority right now is to rebuild the economy, create jobs and deal with the security problems at hand.

“And with what is happening in the Niger Delta you can see that there is so much to do. We must get our priority right some day we will come to that.”

He pleaded with Nigerians not to lose hope because the current challenges were temporary while appealing to them to continue to give unwavering support  for the Buhari-led administration to enable it to deliver on its mandate.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had, on Tuesday, advocated the restructuring of the country to ensure the development and growth of the federating units.

“Agitations by many right-thinking Nigerians call for a restructuring and a renewal of our federation to make it less centralised, less suffocating and less dictatorial in the affairs of our country’s constituent units and localities,” the former vice-president had said at a book presentation, “We are all Biafrans”, in Abuja.

Eminent Nigerians such as a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and an ex-Chairman of the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, Maj. Gen. Ishola Williams (retd.), as well as groups such as Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, and the pan-Igbo umbrella body, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had also supported Atiku’s call.

When asked about the Presidency’s position on the calls, Adesina referred our correspondent to the ruling party’s roadmap for the country.

He said, “The governing party, the APC, has a position on restructuring in its roadmap for the country. Please consult the document.”

Our correspondent’s online check of the party’s document titled “Roadmap to a new Nigeria” showed that the closest information to the issue of restructuring was contained in a section titled “Strengthen peace, security and Foreign Policy.”

Under that section, the APC listed its roadmap for peace, security and foreign policy to include; to enable states to have their own local police forces that address the special needs of each community, including community policing initiatives that restore trust among local citizens; establishing a serious crime squad with state-of-the-art training and equipment to combat terrorism, militancy and ethno-religious communal clashes; and to provide a comprehensive compensation plan for victims of ethno-religious crisis, communal clashes and terrorism.

Credit: Punch Newspaper
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