25th January, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
TINUBU : MURIC TASKS AFENIFERE
An Islamic human
rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has tackled the Yoruba
socio-cultural group, Afenifere, over the latter’s refusal to support Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu who recently declared his intention to contest in the 2023
presidential election. MURIC argued that Tinubu deserves Afenifere’s support in
view of his active role in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in
Nigeria.
MURIC spoke
through its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Tuesday, 25th
January, 2022.
“We are shocked to our marrows that the
Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has remained taciturn two weeks after
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared his intention to run for the post of
president by 2023. Worse still, the leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo has
allegedly ruled out the possibility of supporting Tinubu.
“MURIC is bewildered by the attitude of Afenifere
towards Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu because we can easily recall the role played
by the latter in both the Campaign for Democracy (CD) and the National
Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which were the two major pro-democracy groups
which boldly confronted the military. It is our belief that Tinubu deserves to
reap from the gains of democracy having sacrificed so much for its realisation.
“As a member of the CD under Dr, Beko Ransome
Kuti in those tough days, the director of MURIC can testify that Asiwaju Bola
Ahmed Tinubu visited No. 19, Imaria Street, Anthony Village, Lagos secretariat
of Dr. Beko who was the CD chairman on several occasions to give both moral and
financial support. It was a huge risk for him to have done this with the Abacha
Gestapo on the trail of pro-democracy activists.
“The fact that Tinubu was also an active member of
NADECO and its major financier lends more credence to both his eligibility and
credibility. Why should Afenifere deny Tinubu today when he was in the trenches
with NADECO when the going was rough?
“Afenifere is making a great mistake by
distancing itself from Tinubu simply because the latter supported President
Muhammadu Buhari. Afenifere is playing parochial politics. There is no
scintilla of doubt that regional politics is parochial politics. It is myopic
and unpatriotic. A visionary group will extend its horizon. That is what Tinubu
has done and his nationalistic mien has earned him nationwide acceptance. You
cannot remain locked up in your shell and expect the whole country to embrace
you. Afenifere should wise up.
“Afenifere has one or two lessons to learn
from the Igbo. Unlike Afenifere’s cold attitude towards the only Yoruba man who
has shown interest in the presidency (at least publicly), the Igbo socio-cultural
group, the Ohaneze, has pledged to support two Igbo men (Anyim Pius Anyim and
Dave Umahi) who have expressed interest in the presidency with 10 billion
naira. That is the spirit.
“We call on Afenifere to sharpen its
political instinct. An adage says one good turn deserves another. The Yoruba
socio-cultural group should neither reject its best candidate nor remain
neutral at a time others are embracing their own.
“The strong suspicion in Muslim circles is
that Afenifere is opposing Tinubu because he is a Muslim. This suspicion has a
deep root in the age long anti-Muslim antics of Afenifere. We warn that
Nigerian Muslims will give any Christian candidate sponsored by Afenifere a
good thrashing at the polls come 2023. Democracy is a game of numbers.
“As we draw the curtain, MURIC reiterates its
earlier commitment to the emergence of a Yoruba Muslim as the presidential
candidate so long as a Yoruba candidate is picked by any political party. Any
other region can pick a Christian. It is the turn of a Yoruba Muslim presidency
after Obasanjo, Shonekan and Osinbajo. This for us is non-negotiable. No
retreat, no surrender.”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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