Afenifere Splinter Group Drums Support For Kwankwaso

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Monday, November 21st, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A splinter group within the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, endorsed the Presidential Candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in Lagos on Sunday.

The division within the camp of Afenifere known as the New Afenifere sparked further confusion as the group had earlier endorsed the presidential candidate of the

All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

However, the Acting Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, is supporting the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi.

To the surprise of many, the New Afenifere announced its support for Kwankwaso on Sunday.

The Coordinator of New Afenifere, Ajibade Adeyeye, stated that his group chose to identify with the NNPP presidential candidate because of his track record.

“The new Afenifere hereby states that we are concerned socio-political umbrella known as the new Afenifere and I dare say we have decided to take our future into our hands to prepare for the upcoming 2023 election.

“We have called on our elder statesmen not to impose on us anymore but to allow us to choose our preferred presidential candidate because we believe we are old enough to make decisions for ourselves and for our future.

“So, on behalf of the New Afenifere, we have decided to forge ahead and endorse the candidature of senator, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, together with his running mate, Bishop Isaac Idahosa to see toward a new Nigeria.”

Speaking at the event, Kwankwaso, who welcomed the endorsement promised to run an inclusive governance, stressing his party would salvage the country.

He said, “Let me on behalf of the members of our party thank the leadership of the New Afenifere, for finding us worthy of this endorsement. I am not surprised that these young men have decided to endorse us because even in Kano, North West, South, we have young men and women who are supporting this course.

“I believe NNPP is for the young people, world and everybody, so I want to thank you for the foresight and for doing the right thing and I want to assure you that our party will carry each and every one along of you at national level, zone, state and even at grassroots.

“Everybody knows today where we are in this country, the challenges that we have really have to do with the type of leadership that we had right from 1999 till date and that is why we felt new ideas, new thinking must come in for us to change the status quo.

“The two parties have failed in our opinion. PDP was the first to fail, then we thought another progressive party in the name of APC will save this country but many people are of the opinion that even PDP was better than the APC because of where we found ourselves in term of security, economy, dilapidated infrastructure and so on.

“Our young men cannot go to school, either because of the strike, insecurity or money to buy forms or to maintain themselves in schools but our party has come out to ensure that every child has access to education, not minding it economic status. I thank you for creating time, and I want to assure you that we will work together in the southwest and in Nigeria.”