Afenifere does not believe in secession, says Adebanjo

Afenifere, Yoruba socio-political group, says it does not believe in secession and disintegration of Nigeria but demands restructuring to address the country’s challenges.

Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the group, said this on Thursday while speaking to journalists.

“We are not anarchists; we are not secessionists. We recognise that there is a democratically-elected government,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“However, it is the considered position of Afenifere that the president urgently constitutes a government of national unity solely to undertake the restructuring of Nigeria, in consultation with the Nigerian peoples.

“The issue of restructuring is about our freedom. We are democrats. I don’t want violence. I don’t want the country to break.”

Adebanjo condemned the level of insecurity across the country, saying restructuring Nigeria will resolve that problem.

He also called for a sovereign national conference on restructuring and said that the country must be returned to the 1960 Independence Constitution before the 2023 general election.

“The Nigeria that was agreed is one that was deliberately federal in structure. The Nigeria that was agreed was by design, based on a parliamentary system of government,” he said.

“The Nigeria that was agreed was one that recognised the rights of the federating regions to nationhood within the ambit of the federation that was birthed.

“It was the position of Afenifere and the national democratic coalition that there existed an urgent need for a sovereign national conference of ethnic nationalities that have become known as Nigerians.

“We remain convinced that the need for a sovereign national conference is imperative. The basis of the Nigerian state must be clearly negotiated.”

Adebanjo said Afenifere will support any person who has a clear cut understanding of a restructured Nigeria and sincerely committed to true federalism.

He said Afenifere will be leading the Yoruba nation to demand substantial restructuring before any election could be held in 2023.