Start Behaving Like A Father Of The Nation – Afenifere Slams Buhari

Afenifere Urges Buhari To Unite Nigeria

Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural political organisation on Wednesday chided President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he has failed to act as a father of the nation.

The group made the submission while reacting to some current developments in the country and its perception of the President’s response.

It added that the government should be seeking solutions and unity of Nigerians, not compounding the already tensed situation in the country.

Spokesperson of the Afenifere group, Yinka Odumakin, said this while reacting to the statement by the president that he gave two ministerial slots to Kano and Kaduna States because they both gave him high votes in the 2019 presidential election.

He also spoke on the ongoing protest by members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Japan where President Buhari is attending the 7th Tokyo International Conference.

He said: “It is not only the grievances of IPOB that President Muhammadu Buhari should address, he should address the grievances in the land across board.

“I don’t know how it does not occur to the president that at this stage, we should be summoning Nigerians to dialogue over the state of the nation, how to bring down tension, how to build an inclusive country.

“How can the president go to Kaduna and say ‘I gave you two ministerial slots because you gave me the highest votes?

“Is that what he should be saying this season? Is that the kind of song the president should be singing?

“As the father of the nation, you should be looking at ways to lower tensions and bring people together as the father of all, build an inclusive country, and begin to address the grievances of all sections of the country and not to continue to pour petrol on a burning refuse.

“What was the reason for allowing Sheikh El-Zakzaky to return to the country? And look at their sickening argument that he wanted to stay in a five-star hotel. Even if he wants a 10-star hotel, why not allow it for the sake of peace?

“They should know the anti-corruption mood is not the mood in which you govern a country. We need a leader who gives all Nigerians a sense of belonging.

“Until the president begins to do that, Nigeria will continue to stumble from one crisis to another,” Afenifere said.