Adebanjo to Tinubu: Withdraw before North disgraces you

The leader of the pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, yesterday told the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to stop fooling himself, declaring that, the Northerners would not vote for him. Adebanjo advised Tinubu to withdraw his candidacy for his counterpart in Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and save himself from the shame of losing at the polls.

The Afenifere leader stated this at the Presidential campaign rally of the LP in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Adebanjo, who was accompanied by another leader of Afenifere, Senator Femi Okunronmu, said, Tinubu would be disappointed by the Northerners at the polls. The Afenifere leader dea scribed the Labour Party as the new National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which according to him, would rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the APC.

Adebanjo said: “All those that know Tinubu should tell him. I have always told and I will tell him again, the Northerners will not vote for him. “He (Tinubu) should come back home now and support Obi because when they finally defeat him, he won’t have the courage to come back home again. If he comes back now, we will forgive him and take him back. “I have told you before and I want to say it again, Labour Party is now NADECO.

Those of us supporting Obi are the ones that want good governance. We want Nigeria to be better. We want to liberate ourselves from the captive of the ruling class. “We are behind Obi. Leaders of progressive movement are behind Obi. Those fradusters parading themselves as Yoruba do not love the country. The Yoruba do not take things that belong to other tribes. A Yoruba has been President before.” Obi had earlier paid a visit to the palace of the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, before addressing hundreds of youths at a town hall meeting held within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).

Obi described Nigeria as a failed and one of the most unsecured countries of the world “which is no longer in control of your territory”. He said: “For me, I have served the people of Anambra State and was rated as number one in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the records are there. Even in the areas of education and taking people out of poverty without borrowing a Kobo from anybody and I paid all the pensions being owed before I assumed office. “So, let presidential candidates come out and show Nigerians what they have done in the past before aspiring to govern the country.

“We are determined for a new Nigeria; we want people who are confident, who are qualified for the job. This year’s election is very essential. We can no longer be comfortable with incompetence. We want people who will show commitment; this job requires physical and mental energies. So, we want people, who are ready for the job. Datti and I want to change Nigeria. “We are the only set of people that can do that. We have the capacity to do that and that is why we are saying that you should entrust us with the country and we will make it a great country. Hold us responsible to deal with this matter.