A radical group of progressives committed to changing the direction of politics in South-west Nigeria, the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) has distanced itself from the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term by pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere.
Afenifere, had on Tuesday after a meeting with Jonathan at the house of Reuben Fasoranti, endorsed the reelection bid of President Jonathan declaring “that after considering so many things, the Nigerian constitution inclusive”, it saw President Jonathan as “for now the best option to continue as the president of our dear country”.
But reacting in a press released signed by its publicity secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, ARG expressed disappointment over the use of its insignia to promote the said endorsement, describing such use as fraudulent and an attempt to hoodwink the Yoruba people.
Famoriyo while declaring that “It has come to our notice that some broadcast stations are using ARG’s name and logo to promote the said endorsement,” fumed that, “This is fraudulent and we wish to advise media houses to be wary of such fraudulent promoters especially now that public interest must be defended by the media.”
He continued, “The ARG is not a party to the endorsement and does not in fact think the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan since May 2010 is worth the endorsement of any patriotic citizen. We believe there is a difference between ‘transformation,’ which President Jonathan promised Nigerians in 2011, and mere ‘reform’ of the same governance culture that Nigerians have rejected.”
The publicity secretary clarified that his group does not dictate to the entire people of the Yoruba race, but only appends its voice to their feelings and aspirations. He added that, “The extensive consultations we have made showed that Yoruba people have come to a firm conclusion that they have been at the shorter end of the stick under the Jonathan-led government, under whose administration, nepotism and ethnocentrism have taken over as the emblem of our presidential politics.”
Famoriyo said categorical that the “ARG therefore stands with the aspirations of Yoruba people for change. As echoed in Abeokuta recently at the public lecture organised by the Ogun State chapter of ARG, the change that we demand include a public pledge to restructure the country in such a way that power will devolve to the most efficient federating unit.”
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