Why Atiku, Tinubu Should Not Be On Ballot With Obi – Adebanjo

The Leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo has revealed why the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, and the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, should not be on the ballot with the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Adebanjo in a recent interview with Niche said APC and PDP should have zoned their presidential ticket to the South East.

The Afenifere leader said this is based on equity and fairness to all geo-political regions of the country.

He said, “Unless Peter Obi wins the election, and I am mentioning Peter Obi because all other candidates are not qualified. Are you listening? Any other thing to the contrary, there will be chaos.

“I have said it before and I am repeating it without any element of doubt in my mind. If for any reason, the election is scuttled or manipulated, and Obi doesn’t win, I say emphatically, that is the end of Nigeria.”

Adebanjo, speaking on why Tinubu and Atiku are not qualified, said: “Take for instance Bola Tinubu from my own region, on the basis of the agreement for peace and equity, the Yoruba people have had their share when Olusegun Obasanjo became the president.

“And after Obasanjo, the power went back to the North and we had Umaru Yar’Adua. After Yar’Adua, it came back to the South, and we had Goodluck Jonathan and after Jonathan, it went back to the North and now we have Muhammadu Buhari about to complete his second term of eight years.

“And after Buhari, power is coming back to the South. How do the Yoruba come in again when they have had their turn? Or is it the South-South? The only region that has not had its turn is the Southeast. We arrived at the Southeast, not for any other consideration but under the constitutional arrangement we have agreed to in the interest of peace, equity and justice.

“That is why we arrived at the Southeast and I didn’t know whether Obi will contest or not when I said it is the turn of the Southeast. You will remember that I was the first to say that the presidency should go to the Southeast and no political party had done its primaries at that time.

“And for Atiku Abubakar, how can a Northerner leave Aso Rock and another Northerner moves in? Northerners have had their own share under Yara’Adua and Buhari. So, the Atiku presidency will be the third time for the North. And no chance for the Southeast? Is that equity? The South will not agree, and the minorities will not agree because injustice to one is an injustice to all.”

The elder statesman claimed that President Buhari has done so much damage to the country, adding that the less we talk about him the better.

Adebanjo, who accused Buhari of being behind the spate of insecurity in the country, said: “My prayer is that God should keep us alive until May 29, 2023. The earlier we forget about Buhari’s administration, the better.”