Afenifere Reiterates Support For Obi, Backs Appeal Of Tribunal Judgment

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

The Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere has reiterated its support for Peter Obi and is backing the appeal of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) judgment that affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s election.

While Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, had approached the court challenging Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the February exercise, the court dismissed his petition and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Atiku Abubakar.

Days after Obi filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, Afenifere expressed support for the former Anambra State governor’s move.

In a communique after a meeting held at its leader Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s Ogun residence on Tuesday, the group said it “remains convinced and undeterred on the just principles with which we agreed to support Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

“In line with our disagreement with the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the 2023 elections, we support a further appeal to the Supreme Court in the interest of the nation.”

It also faulted the court’s “pronouncements that the INEC is at liberty to return to the manual collation of election results and all the primitive electoral brigandage associated.

“Neither is it true with our political structure that Nigeria is now a 37-state federation as the Court of Appeal erroneously pronounced.”

Afenifere further maintained that “no person or group of persons shall hold the reins of power except in the proven interest of a fair, equitable, inclusive and thus united Nigeria in their peaceful, prosperous and harmonious diversity.”

Away from that, the group urged the Federal Government to heed the demands of labour unions who have vowed to go on strike owing to the removal of the fuel subsidy and the rising cost of living among others.

“Government is called upon to look into the plight of Nigerians and listen to the NLC to avert the looming strikes in the interests of the already prostrate economy,” the communique issued by Adebanjo reads.

“Government needs to open up to Nigerians and those in power come down from their ostentatious lifestyles,” Afenifere noted.

“From the humongous number of 50 Ministers with an intractable number of aides, it is unacceptable that the people are being called upon to make further sacrifices.”