By Emegwoako C. Paschal
Dr Daniel Bwala, the Presidential Spokesman for the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation, has pointed out a flaw in the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere’s endorsement of All Progressive Congress presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.
On Sunday, October 30th Afenifere leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti and several South West leaders backed Tinubu.
Tinubu received their support during a meeting with the organization’s leaders at Fasoranti’s residence in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.
Some members of the group, including Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Sola Ebiseni, were not present at the meeting.
In response to the endorsement, Bwala said in a statement that the absence of Adebanjo and others indicated that the endorsement was flawed.
He also chastised the Afenifere leaders for inviting only Tinubu to an event where they could have hosted frontline candidates and listened to their plans for the country.
Tinubu was also described as a “tribal evangelist” by Bwala. He described the former Lagos State governor’s remark at the meeting that he “would bring the trophy home” as “clear ethnic insinuations and divisive remarks.”
“So to Tinubu, the race to become Nigeria’s president is a trophy to be won and taken to his ethnic enclave,” the statement read. He was not only incorrect in his tribal insinuation that not a single Yoruba objected to the ticket, but he also lied because many Yorubas objected to the same faith ticket as well as his divisive and religious politics.
“To claim that his ticket is supported by all Yorubas is, to put it mildly, deceptive, false, and condemnable.”
“Tinubu has made no secret of his tribalism and contempt for other ethnic groups in southern Nigeria.” To put it mildly, this is sad and deeply troubling, and Nigerians should rise and condemn this rhetoric at the polls.”
