Yomi Ayeleso- Ado-Ekiti
A socio-political and cultural organisation, Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Ekiti State Chapter, has congratulated the All Progressives Congress(APC) presidential candidate in the 2023 poll, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his victory in the just concluded election.
ARG said Tinubu’s winning was a product of the hard work and vision he pioneered over 30 years ago, expressing confidence that his reign will return Nigeria to the path of greatness and radical turnaround.
However, the group warned politicians against engaging in acts capable of stoking the fire of crisis in any of the Southwest states as the 2023 presidential election winds down.
It posited unequivocally that the Yoruba ethnic group will unapologetically rise to defend the region from being mindlessly exposed to unnecessary conflagration by desperate politicians who are under the illusion that Nigeria’s presidency is their birthright.
The ARG Publicity Secretary in Ekiti, Prince Michael Ogungbemi, in a statement released in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday, said, ” Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory was well deserved. He is a visioner and progressive politician that will take Nigeria to the promised land.
“We have no iota of doubt that a great unifier and detribalized personality like Asiwaju will strengthen our bond of unity as a nation. He is one politician that can operate seamlessly under our diverse ethnic and religious inclinations. His victory will benefit Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the group advised that whoever wants to protest is at liberty to do so legitimately, but within the confines of his state or the Federal Capital Territory, rather than the ever peaceful Southwest Region.
The socio-cultural body spoke in response to the hoopla being raised by some politicians who had threatened to resort to violent protests, as a way to get at the Nation’s impartial Independent National Electoral Commission over the conduct of the presidential poll.
Raising its voice against such open negation of democratic ethos, Afenifere is of the opinion that the Lagos State as a strategic and treasured Yoruba territory has yet to fully recover from the large scale devastation and bleeding, it suffered during the misguided EndSARS protests that almost grounded the state to a halt.
Ogungbemi posited that some vested political interests from other ethnic groups notoriously hid under the facade of EndSARS to wreak havoc on Lagos, leaving their own states to flourish.
“Very disturbing was the fact that when Lagos was burning, other regions where protests ever took place enjoyed relative peace. The protesters and their masked sponsors ostensibly had an invidous plan to wreck havoc on Lagos, the “brain box” of Southwest economy before proceeding to the other parts of Yorubaland like Oshogbo, Akure, Ekiti and others.
” Their sinister intention is to make Southwest a battlefield. This will not be tolerated. ARG, is saying without any equivocation that no settlers in Yoruba territory, no matter how highly placed would be allowed to destroy our heritage when their own fatherland is at peace.
” It is in view of the foregoing therefore, that ARG, is calling on people of Yoruba extraction to rise up and never falter in their commitment to defend their treasured heritage,” he said.
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• warns against violent protest in South West
‘Yomi Ayeleso | Ado-Ekiti
A socio-political and cultural organisation, Afenifere Renewal Group, (ARG), Ekiti State Chapter, has congratulated the All Progressives Congress(APC) presidential candidate in the 2023 poll, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory in the just concluded election.
ARG said Tinubu’s winning was a product of hardwork and vision he pioneered over 30 years ago, expressing confidence that his reign will return Nigeria to the path of greatness and radical turnaround.
However, the group warned politicians against engaging in acts capable of stoking the fire of crisis in any of the Southwest states as the 2023 presidential election winds down.
It posited unequivocally that the Yoruba ethnic group will unapologetically rise up, to defend the region from being mindlessly exposed to unnecessary conflagration by desperate politicians, who are under illusion that Nigeria presidency is their birthright.
The ARG Publicity Secretary in Ekiti, Prince Michael Ogungbemi, in a statement released in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday said, ” Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory was well deserved. He is a visioner and progressive politician that will take Nigeria to the promised land.
“We have no iota of doubt that a great unifier and detribalised personality like Asiwaju will strengthen our bond of unity as a nation . He is one politician that can operate seamlessly under our diverse ethnic and religious inclinations. His victory is one that will benefit Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the group advised that whoever wants to protest is at liberty to do so legitimately, but within the confines of his state or the Federal Capital Territory, rather than the ever peaceful Southwest Region.
The socio-cultural body spoke in response to the hoopla being raised by some politicians who had threatened to resort to violent protests, as a way to get at the Nation’s impartial Independent National Electoral Commission over the conduct of the presidential poll.
Raising its voice against such open negation of democratic ethos, Afenifere is of the opinion that the Lagos State as a strategic and treasured Yoruba territory has yet to fully recover from the large scale devastation and bleeding, it suffered during the misguided EndSARS protests that almost grounded the state to a halt.
Ogungbemi posited that some vested political interests from other ethnic groups notoriously hid under the facade of EndSARS to wreak havoc on Lagos, leaving their own states to flourish.
“Very disturbing was the fact that when Lagos was burning, other regions where protests ever took place enjoyed relative peace. The protesters and their masked sponsors ostensibly had an invidous plan to wreck havoc on Lagos, the “brain box” of Southwest economy before proceeding to the other parts of Yorubaland like Oshogbo, Akure, Ekiti and others.
” Their sinister intention is to make Southwest a battlefield. This will not be tolerated. ARG, is saying without any equivocation that no settlers in Yoruba territory, no matter how highly placed would be allowed to destroy our heritage when their own fatherland is at peace.
” It is in view of the foregoing therefore, that ARG, is calling on people of Yoruba extraction to rise up and never falter in their commitment to defend their treasured heritage,” he said.
