Prince Michael OgungbemiThe Afenifere Renewal Group(ARG), has vowed to hold key leaders in the Southwest responsible if the Yoruba nation fails to capture the position of President in the 2023 presidential election.
Among such key leaders, according to the group, are Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Chief Akande, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, General Alan I Akinrinade, Professor Banji Akintoye, Senator Femi Okurounmu, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, Chief Afe Babalola(SAN) and others.
The group’s Publicity Secretary, Prince Michael Ogungbemi, who spoke to newsmen today, July 13 in Ado Ekiti, after a meeting, said: “ARG had met and we had concluded that the Yoruba nation is ready to lead Nigeria. We have a blueprint that we can present to any presidential candidate that can bring better democratic governance to all Nigerians.
“The southwest is ready to take over. We have human and material resources. The political leaders must go on consultations. We have six geopolitical zones, Southwest is just a block. Tinubu must lead this block. Also, Luckily, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is the NGF Chairman, is from the southwest. “They must move for a united family to clamour for the presidency for the southwest and produce a unified front. If they can speak with one voice, we will actually clinch this ticket, because it is our turn.
“We can’t go into that race with a divided house.”
The group advised the leaders to urgently convey a meeting of the progressive politicians in the zone “so that we can be United. If we have a candidate that is acceptable to both the North and the South, we will surely win. “But Yoruba nation will blame Tinubu, Fayemi and Akande if the southwest fails to clinch the ticket.”
The ARG said that Tinubu, party’s pioneer Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and the Chairman, Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi should deploy their strategic positions to unite the zone and clinch the presidential ticket that may be zoned to the South in APC.
The socio-cultural and political body also advocated what it called “classical restructuring” of the country that would correct the highly entrenched lopsidedness in all zones and ethnic groups in phases.
The ARG Chief said that the country can’t run away from restructuring, adding that it remains the best panacea for peace and unity among diverse Nigerian citizens. “Nigeria needs to be restructured, but what we need is classical restructuring, it might not be holistic for now. With restructuring, governance at the state will be healthier and more benefiting, the running of the states will be healthier.
“Governance under the presidential system is very powerful and costly, but with power residing in the states and local governments, things will be better. We must have a roundtable referendum to achieve this. It is not to satisfy certain groups, it will bring geometric progressive order because we have not been moving at the right pace”.
