The apex socio-cultural organization for the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Afenifere, has urged the Nigerian judiciary to resolve all presidential election petitions before end of the tenure of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Afenifere made the call in a communique issued at the end of the regular monthly general meeting of the organization held at the residence of its leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, at Isanya Ogbo Ogun State on Tuesday 25th April, 2023, jointly signed by the leader, Chief Adebanjo, and the Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni.
Speaking at the meeting, the Afenifere the leader once again upheld the victory of Mr. Peter Gregory Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
Afenifere also reiterated its earlier position that the emergence of a president specifically from South East will guarantee equity, fairness and peaceful corporate existence for which it continue to support Peter Obi’s victory.
The communique, issued and signed at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State this 25th day of April 2023, reads in part:
“Afenifere held its Regular monthly General Meeting today, the 25th day of April 2023, at the residence of our Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, which Meeting had in attendance delegates from the member states and presided over by our Leader aforesaid; and after exhaustive deliberations on the state of the Nigerian Federation, Observed and Resolved as follow:
- On the presidential election“Afenifere reiterates our position that the emergence of a President of Southern and specifically South Eastern origin will guarantee equity, fairness and peaceful corporate existence of the Nigerian federation and for which we continue to support the victory of Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the 25th February Presidential election and all his endeavours in its realization.
- The judiciary and the 2023 presidential election
Afenifere strongly calls on the judiciary to ensure that all petitions in respect of the Presidential election be timeously and justly resolved before the end of the tenure of the Buhari administration as the only way the confidence of Nigerians in its intervention may be earned. Precedents in this regard have been laid even by less endowed countries in Africa.
In the meantime, the presidential election Tribunal is expected to kick off on the 10th, 12th and 13th of May, 2023.
