Emmanuel Adigwe
Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, has tasked the federal government to ensure the release of Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), and the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
This was made known in a communique issued at the end of the first annual general meeting of Afenifere held at the country home of its acting leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun state.
Afenifere also stated that restructuring Nigeria into true federalism can be done before the 2023 general elections, if the administration of President Muhammedu Buhari would adopt the reports of the 2014 National Conference and the 2018 Mallam Nasir El-Rufai Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on true federalism and make some necessary changes.
The communique, which was made available to journalists by the national publicity secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, disclosed that the group deliberated extensively on various issues about the Nigerian nation as it affects the Yoruba race.
“The meeting reviewed the various challenges that Nigeria has been facing since independence. The meeting felt that while the country had never met the dream of its founding fathers, the situation had never been this bad socially, economically, and politically.
“The situation is particularly worse on the security front as no part of the country is safe at any time of the day anymore,” the communique partly read.
“After extensive deliberations, Afenifere “considered Sunday Adeyemo Igboho as ‘a prisoner of conscience’. Afenifere called on all men and women of conscience, particularly the international community to which human rights and freedom are abiding faith, to prevail on the governments of Nigeria and the Benin Republic to release Sunday Igboho forthwith.
“Not only that, but the federal government should also pay Sunday Igboho the damages awarded to him by the court upon the savage attack on his person and property.
Afenifere also enjoined the federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu even if on political consideration as was done for Asari Dokubo under then-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Talking on the need for restructuring the country, the group noted, “One of the things that has been a great clog in the wheel of Nigeria’s progress today was the rubbishing of true federalism, meaning that true federalism must be allowed to be effectively operational immediately.
In other words, states and local government councils must be allowed to enjoy self-governance as provided for them in the constitution.
“Afenifere is convinced that restructuring of the Nigerian state before the 2023 general elections is achievable. It is achievable through the adoption of the Reports of the 2014 National Conference and the 2018 Mallam El-Rufai Committee of the APC on true federalism with desirable modifications where necessary.”
