Leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, in this interview he gives reasons on why he is backing the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and why he won’t give his support to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu despite being from the same region with him. The elder statesman spoke on the qualities the next President of Nigeria should possess and also insisted that the issue of restructuring the country should be paramount to every presidential candidate. Excerpts:

You were quoted to have said that you are supporting the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, for the 2023 General Elections. One would have expected that, as a Yoruba leader, you would support a candidate from your region, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu precisely. Why have you chosen to go that way?

This is not a Yoruba or Igbo affair, the presidency is a national affair and for the sake of equity and unity, we included Federal Character in the Constitution, which was what gave birth to rotation.

It was the agitation that the Northern region had been monopolising the presidency since the military took over that made us vote massively for the late Chief M.K.O Abiola. When they didn’t allow him to take over, there was a crisis. To pacify the South-West, the military brought former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the prison in 1999 to be the President of Nigeria and the rotation started. When he did eight years, they brought the late Umar Musa Yar’Adua. After this, it went back to the South and former president Goodluck Jonathan took over. Later it went back to the North. After the North now, it should be back to the South. Should it now go to the South- West after Obasanjo or South-South after Jonathan? Is the South-East not part of the South? That is what is called logic, fairness and inclusiveness.

So, the presidency should go to the South-East unless there is a gang up. A Yoruba man has done it under the rotational system, and it is on that I stand. This is a fundamental principle, which is why I would not support a candidate from the South-West.

Also, I would not support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. How can a Northerner leave the office and we give it to another Northerner? All the agitations of the Igbos were what led to the Civil War between 1967 and 1970 and we said they should not go. Do we continue to sideline or discriminate against the Igbos, which was what brought the issue of the South East even before the Labour Party gave Peter Obi ticket. I’m not talking of individuals now, let them criticise me on that principle.

One of the fears of some people is that the Igbos are still talking about the Biafra Republic…

If they are talking about Biafra, should we continue to do what they are complaining about? Agitations for Biafra came because they are being sidelined, which was what led to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), we are talking of finding a solution to keep the country together except we are not sincere about that.

But a lot of people are saying that Peter Obi doesn’t have the requisite experience to lead the country. So why do you want to give your support to such a person?

When we get to the polls, we will decide that. But, any other candidate from the South apart from Peter Obi is out of it.

What do you think are the chances of Obi as he is running under the Labour Party that does not have enough spread and structures in the country?

Chances or no chances; that is where we are going. Until we practise politics of principle, we will not get there. Let us start the campaign first. It is believed that we have a systemic problem in Nigeria, which is why things are not working properly.

What do you think should be done urgently about this as we go into another election?

That is what we have been fighting for; we must restructure the country and go back to federalism. To be candid, I don’t believe in this election until we restructure the country, but because they are not thinking of that, they are thinking of the difficulty – they said it is not possible. The Constitution, under which we are organising the next general elections is not okay, but if they say restructuring is not possible, let us take the available opportunity. For instance, the issue of revenue allocation should be addressed.

Have you met with Mr. Peter Obi regarding what he has in stock for the country?

I don’t need to see him, Obi is my son; my first daughter is older than him. Other leaders in the Middle Belt are backing him on the principles of federalism, equality and restructuring of the country. Many Nigerians are carried away by sentiments and money politics. What has the All Progressives Congress (APC) done in the past seven years that they have been in power to qualify them for re-election? When we start the campaign, we will go into that.

Let us assume that Peter Obi wins the presidential election, the Labour Party might not have the majority in the National Assembly, how do you think he will cope?

When we get to the river, we will cross it. This is what the opposition has been saying. The Labour Party is now like the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). Am I a member of the Labour Party? We want to deal with the issue of hegemony. All those who believe in federalism are backing Obi, no marginalisation, no discrimination, and no religious bias. We must know the issues at stake. Is it the turn of the North or the South West?

As an elder statesman, what is your message to someone like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who said it is his turn to rule Nigeria?

He knows it; he is not qualified to contest. Anybody from the South West is not qualified to contest, not because it is Tinubu, but because of equity and fairness.

Why did you say Tinubu is not qualified to contest, he is a Nigerian?

I have told you that it has to do with the principle of Federal Character. We are not talking about the Yorubas, but the fact is that the country belongs to all of us and the position should be rotational. Is Peter Obi not a Nigerian? We are talking of equity. Is restructuring not in the manifestoes of the APC, did they do it? What did the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai say? This is the question you people should be asking.

From the look of things, it is clear that restructuring would not come before or immediately after the election, so what should the next president do about security, economy and corruption?

These are the issues I consider before I back anybody. Whoever does not believe in them is not my candidate. I have said that repeatedly. That is the priority if you want to keep the country together. The issue now is if the next president would do it.

The bane of our society is corruption, how do we block the loopholes in the system?

That is the question for the candidates. They should tell us how to solve this. As a founding father of the country, I would say these are the issues at stake. (Daily Independent)

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