2023 Presidency: Tinubu's Ambition Threatened as Afenifere Faction Picks Another Candidate
- New Afenifere, a faction of the popular Yoruba socio-political organisation, has endorsed Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso
- The group, through its coordinator, Comrade Ajibade Adeyeye, made this decision on Sunday, November 20
- According to the platform, whose members are mostly young Yorubas, they are old enough to decide who will lead them come 2023 elections
In the wake of the leadership tussle in the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, a faction of the platform that recently emerged has thrown its weight behind Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Giving its endorsement of Kwankwaso on Sunday, November 20, the group known as New Afenifere said it made the decision because of the track record of the New Nigeria Peoples Party's presidential candidate, Daily Trust reports.
Source: Facebook
The coordinator of New Afenifere, Comrade Ajibade Adeyeye, in a statement on Sunday, noted that the group has taken its future into its hands in preparation for the 2023 elections.
We are old enough to choose our leader - New Afenifere
Adeyeye said the group has called on elders on the umbrella platform not to choose its leader for members of the new group because they are old enough to make that decision themselves.
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He stated:
“The new Afenifere hereby states that we are concerned socio-political umbrella known as the new Afenifere and I dare say we have decided to take our future into our hands to prepare for the upcoming 2023 election.
“We have called on our elder statesmen not to impose on us anymore but to allow us to choose our preferred presidential candidate because we believe we are old enough to make decision for ourselves and for our future.
“So, on behalf of the New Afenifere, we have decided to forge ahead and endorse the candidature of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, together with his running mate, Bishop Isaac Idahosa to see toward a new Nigeria.”
Kwankwaso welcomes endorsement, makes promise
On his part, Kwankwaso, who welcomed the endorsement, promised members of the group that he will operate an inclusive administration if given the mandate, adding that his goal is to salvage Nigeria, Vanguard reports.
The former Kano governor lamented that the two major parties in the country (the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party ) have failed citizens for years.
His words:
“Let me on behalf of the members of our party thank the leadership of the New Afenifere, for finding us worthy of this endorsement. I am not surprised that these young men have decided to endorse us because even in Kano, North West, South, we have young men and women who are supporting this course.
“I believe NNPP is for the young people, world and everybody, so I want to thank you for the foresight and for doing the right thing and I want to assure you that our party will carry each and everyone along of you at the national level, zone, state and even at grassroots...
“The two parties have failed in our opinion. PDP was the first to fail, then we thought another progressive party in the name of APC will save this country but many people are of the opinion that even PDP was better than the APC because of where we found ourselves in term of security, economy, dilapidated infrastructure and so on."
"Afenifere is fully Obidient, Fasoranti’s endorsement of Tinubu a joke”
Amid the politics of endorsement within the pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, a chieftain, Gboyega Adejumo, had said that the group was in full support of the Labour Party’s flag bearer, Peter Obi.
He described as a joke the endorsement of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by ex-Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo state capital, on October 30, 2022.
Adejumo insisted that Afenifere, under the leadership of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, remains fully ‘Obidient’, a sobriquet for loyal supporters of Obi.
Source: Legit.ng
