•Pa Ayo Adebanjo
The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has vowed to mobilise and join forces with Nigerians against the practices of unitarianism in Nigerian politics.
Afenifere stated this in a communique issued after its monthly meeting held at Isanya Ogbo Ogun State, the residence of its Leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo.
The communique, by its Deputy Leader and National Publicity Secretary, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and Justice Faloye respectively, reads: “Afenifere resolved to, in due course and soon, mobilise and join democratic forces with all lovers of Nigeria against all tenets, tendencies, pretences, policies and practices of unitarianism in the Nigerian body of politics.
“Afenifere notes the introduction of a bill to establish a National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission, NILGEC, for the conduct of Local Government elections and considers the idea as nothing but a monumental multiplication of INEC’s inefficiencies at 774 degrees.
“The idea of a federal agency to conduct local government elections is a veritable weapon in furtherance of the undisguised policy of complete capture and absolute unitarianism of the Nigerian Federation by the Central Government, a policy that has attained its crescendo under the present administration.
“Afenifere decries all forms of political rascality aimed at stifling democracy by the two tiers of the Nigerian government structure and equally condemns in unmistakable terms political gerrymandering pushing Nigeria into a unitary state by wielders of transient political power contrary to the existential covenant of federalism.
“The federal government and its INEC have proven not better at conducting the limited elections with which they are saddled by the Constitution.”
