The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed full support for the position of the Chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF) and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) on the need for power to shift to the South in 2023.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, spoke in response to the criticism of Akeredolu by the Northern Elders Forum.
Akeredolu had said any political party that fielded a candidate from the North in 2023 would lose the election.
But NEF replied that northerners had the right to contest for the presidential seat in 2023 and that the North could take a similar position by canvassing support for a northern candidate against the South.
The NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a chat with Daily Trust warned that such utterances could make the country suffer because Nigerians could end up selecting leaders not on the basis of their qualities but threats and intimidation.
However, Afenifere said Akeredolu’s declaration reflected the desire of the majority of ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, particularly, those in the South West, Middle Belt, South East and the South South to have power returned to the South in 2023.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. The path we are treading is the one that will foster unity, fairness and harmonious relationship. As succinctly put by governor Akeredolu, what we, along with the southern governors, stand for is fair and equitable power rotation. The only fair thing is that after eight years in the North, the Presidency should come to the south,” the spokesman said.