Afenifere National Youth Council (ANYC), yesterday, endorsed the candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, for President in the forthcoming general election, while calling on other Yoruba to vote for him.

The National President of the group, Eniola Ojajuni, who spoke at a meeting in Lagos, said it was the turn of the Southeast to produce the president, given that the North, Southwest and South have had a shot.

According to him, Obi became ANYC’s choice because of his antecedent and clean records of uprightness and character when he was governor of Anambra State.

He said: “We are here to endorse the candidate of the LP, Obi officially as the sole candidate for the Southwest youth wing. It took us almost three months to reach the conclusions amongst 147 youth groups in Yoruba land, and today, we officially announced Obi and his running mate, Ahmed Datti, as our sole candidate for the presidential election on Saturday.

“The reason we endorsed Obi is because the Yoruba has had his shot in the presidency through former President Olusegun Obasanjo, likewise former President Goodluck Jonathan who is from the South South. Our current president Muhammadu Buhari is from the North. It’s the turn of the Southeast to produce the presidency, for equity and justice.

“Among the presidential candidates from the southeast, we found Obi worthy, because he is a man of integrity, and has shown character. We believe he has what it takes to deliver the country’s economy from the present comatose.”

He adds, “in Yorubaland, we have about 200 groups that are dominated by the youths, and among this figure, we have 147 groups who have come together to endorse Obi. In the 2019 election, about 60 groups in Yoruba endorsed Buhari, but unfortunately it was a wrong decision, but this time around, we have critically taken a strong consultation and we have seen that Obi is the right candidate.

Ojajuni urged the Yoruba people to vote for Obi to ensure quality education, stable economy and quality life for Nigerians, adding that Obi has assured them that one of the first things he will do if elected President is restructuring.

“Before we endorsed him, Obi assured us that the first thing he would do is to restructure the country.”

He added, “We believe that the election will hold, and it will be free and fair and the youths in the SW are ready to vote obi. Our target is to give him five million votes.”

Representing Obi at the programme, Chairman of Light Up Nigeria for Peter Obi, Anita Nana Okuribidoh described Obi’s endorsement by the Southwest youth as history being made, adding that it shows there is no more dichotomy in the country.

“Obi foresees a unified country and if Afenifere, an organisation that we all see as Yoruba, particularly the youths council, it’s a bold step. History is being made and we are happy about this. We know that together, February 25, we shall deliver Nigeria to the LP. Obi is light and he will dispel the darkness in the country.” (The Guardian)

Update news