Afenifere Blasts Tinubu Over #EndBadGovernance Protesters
Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political group, has scolded the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government for failing to “concretely address” the issues raised by the #EndBadGovernance protesters during the president’s nationwide broadcast last Sunday.
The Yoruba group said this in a communiqué issued by the group at the conclusion of its expanded National Executive Committee Meeting.
The communiqué, signed by the national leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, and the National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye, emphasised that the identities of those sponsoring the display of foreign flags should be revealed.
The group urged the Nigerian government to “investigate the deliberate violation of rights, particularly the circumstances surrounding the deaths of those who died during the protests, and to hold accountable those, including security agents, found culpable in these matters.”
Afenifere also warned the government from taking the matter with levity hands, adding that any evidence of foreign involvement or calls for military intervention in Nigeria’s political affairs should be met with the full force of the law.
Addressing the threats to non-indigenes residing in certain parts of the country, Afenifere stated, “Governments at all levels should take immediate action against threats to any group in any part of the country, thoroughly investigate these incidents, and decisively deal with those found responsible, given the implications for the security, unity, and corporate existence of Nigeria.”
Afenifere reiterated the right of every Nigerian citizen to reside in any part of the country, saying, “Nigerians are widely dispersed across every state and geopolitical zone, irrespective of their ethnic identities.”
Commenting on President Bola Tinubu’s address to the nation on the hunger protests, the group expressed disappointment that “Tinubu failed to rise to the occasion in statesmanship, particularly with his hypocritical warning against those fanning the flames of ethnic disunity—a tactic often employed by some of his advisers and spokespersons.
“Furthermore, he failed to concretely address the existential issues raised by the protesters.”
The group criticised the government and its agents for responding to the protests with threats and intimidation of the organizers, mocking revered traditional institutions, and exploiting ethnic and religious divisions.
Afenifere urged President Tinubu to view the nationwide protests, the diversity of participation, and the outcomes in different regions as a clear mandate for restructuring the Nigerian Federation.
They called for the immediate initiation of irreversible mechanisms to achieve true federalism, as a means to ensure unity, peaceful coexistence, and development in a nation where no individual or group is oppressed.
The group also praised “those security agents who professionally ensured the civil treatment of demonstrators and protected them from attacks by apparent hired gangs.”
Afenifere strongly condemned “the display of foreign flags and interests in Nigeria’s purely domestic matters and the surreptitious calls for military intervention in the nation’s political affairs.”
They made it clear that “NEVER AGAIN will the military be tolerated in the politics and governance of Nigeria.”
The group also criticised “the statement attributed to agents of the Federal Government suggesting that refined petroleum products from the Dangote refinery are inferior to those imported from abroad.
“Such statements, without proposing solutions, are treasonous, especially in Nigeria’s current state of economic and political emergency, as they serve personal and foreign interests.”
Afenifere also urged the government to “address issues affecting our crude oil production and revenues by providing more security, accurately metering oil production, and curbing corruption.”
