Count us out of Goodluck Jonathan endorsement, says Afenifere Renewal Group

The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) – “a group of the younger elements within the core progressive camp in Yorubaland who have been meeting and organising for change in the direction of politics in Yorubaland and ultimately in Nigeria” – says it is not a party to the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan for second term by pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere.

On Tuesday after a meeting with Jonathan at the house of Reuben Fasoranti (pictured),  Afenifere endorsed Jonathan, saying “loud and clear that after considering so many things, the Nigerian constitution inclusive”, it saw the president as “for now the best option to continue as the president of our dear country”.

But in a press statement signed by Kunle Famoriyo, its publicity secretary, ARG expressed unhappiness with the use of its insignia to promote the said endorsement. It described such use as fraudulent and an attempt to deceive Yoruba people.

“It has come to our notice that some broadcast stations are using ARG’s name and logo to promote the said endorsement,” Famoriyo said.

“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.

“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.”

He added that ARG does not dictate to the generality of the Yoruba people, but only it gives voice to their feelings and aspirations.

“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,” he said.

“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.”