Posted by By MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, Abeokuta on
The leadership of pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere has charged all Nigerians to brace up for the struggle to force President Olusegun Obasanjo out of office at the expiration of his tenure on May 29, 2007.
The leadership of pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere has charged all Nigerians to brace up for the struggle to force President Olusegun Obasanjo out of office at the expiration of his tenure on May 29, 2007.
Besides, the group described on-going attempts to legalise the contentious third term agenda through a constitutional amendment in the National Assembly as an effort in futility which is bound to fail.
A prominent leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, disclosed this Tuesday while the group led by its acting leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti and former Finance Minister, Chief Olu Falae, paid a courtesy visit on Governor Gbenga Daniel in his office in Abeokuta.
Other leaders on the delegation include Chief Ganiyu Dawodu, former Ondo State governor, Chief Adebayo Adefarati; former Deputy Governors of Lagos and Ogun States, Chief Rafiu Jafojo and Alhaji Adegbenga Kaka respectively.
Fielding questions from journalists after the visit, Chief Adebanjo, who is also a chieftain of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), described the third term agenda as a thoughtless, immoral and unconstitutional agenda which would not see the light of day.
His words: 'Even if it paves its way to getting through, he can't stay there. He can only buy those in the House (referring to the National Assembly), but those of us who are in the country will protest in the most legitimate way that will be very effective".
When reminded that protest did not solve the June 12, 1993 struggle, Adebanjo quipped: 'Who told you it did not work? It did not work immediately. What we did was what led to the man being removed by providence, because the people around said no. No one man can say yes when 14 million are talking.
'So the exercise is an exercise in futility and it is still-born affair. Let him go.
Nigerians do not believe in him again and the voice of the people is the voice of God. Don't forget, God always helps the helpless."
Adebanjo, who also described the newly registered Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) as 'Acid" further said: 'Those Nigerians who have no bad records with which he (Obasanjo) can blackmail them will frustrate his efforts."
Responding to a question on whether there is any similarity between the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki and President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Afenifere leader said: 'Mbeki is a more honourable man than your President. Yes, he is more honourable than Obasanjo. Are you hiding that fact?"
'What has Obasanjo said that he has kept to ? In the first time coming when he was to become the President, he asked how many presidents Nigerians wanted to make of him. The second time, he said he was looking for God's guidance. Up till now, he has not openly said that he was not contesting, but all his foot-soldiers are working. Is that the type of person you say is honourable? Definitely, he is not," the octogenarian added.
Earlier, Gov. Daniel said his administration was more of a better ambassador of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere than his predecessor in office, adding that the legacies of the late sage was a guiding principle for his administration.
Apparently elated by the visit of the Afenifere leaders, Daniel emphasised: 'We have been following the legacies of Afenifere and Awolowo. I want to declare here that all of those four cardinal programmes of the then Unity Party of Nigeria are what have been encapsulated in what we call the five pillars of PDP in Ogun State.
'The education programmes we are operating in Ogun is freer than what the government we took over from operated. Apart from that, we reinstated the scholarship last operated by the old Western Region. What we are operating here is in line with the ideals of Awo. People running this government are Afenifere in PDP".
Continuing, Daniel said: ' I think you will agree with me that in terms of programmes and activities, I can say that we are even more Afenifere than the government we took over from".
He charged the group to operate above party politics, adding that the objectives and programmes of the organisation should be more important rather than the colour of the party.