Africa Press-Nigeria:<\/p>\n
The Afenifere Renewal Group(ARG), has said prominent Yoruba leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be blamed if the southwest fails to clinch the presidential ticket of the party in 2023 due to unwarranted divisions.<\/p>\n
The ARG said the APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, party\u2019s pioneer Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and the Chairman, Nigeria\u2019s Governor\u2019s Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi should deploy their strategic positions to unite the zone and clinch the presidential ticket that may likely be zoned to the South in APC.<\/p>\n
The socio-cultural and political body also advocated for what it called \u201cclassical restructuring\u201d of the country that would correct the highly entrenched lopsidedness in all zones and ethnic groups in phases.<\/p>\n
Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Saturday, the ARG Publicity Secretary in Ekiti, Prince Michael Ogungbemi, said with the impression that the APC may zone the presidency to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s two terms in office, the Southwest has the prospect of occupying the position and lead Nigeria to prosperity.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cAbout 2023, ARG had met and we had concluded that the Yoruba nation is ready to lead Nigeria. We have a blueprint that we can present to any presidential candidate that can bring better democratic governance to all Nigerians.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe southwest is ready to take over. We have human and material resources.
\nThe political leaders must go on consultations. We have six geopolitical zones, Southwest is just a block. Tinubu must lead this block. Also, Luckily, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is the NGF Chairman, is from the southwest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey must move for a united family to clamour for presidency for the southwest and produce a unified front. If they can speak with one voice, we will actually clinch this ticket, because it is our turn.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t go into that race with a divided house. Tinubu, Fayemi, Akande, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Prof Banji Akintoye, Senator Femi Okurounmu, Senator Ayo Fasanmi , Aare Afe Babalola(SAN) and others must convey a meeting of the progressive politicians in the zone so that we can be United. If we have a candidate that is acceptable to both the North and the South, we will surely win.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Yoruba nation will blame Tinubu, Fayemi and Akande, if the southwest fails to clinch the ticket\u201d, he stated.<\/p>\n
Speaking about restructuring, the ARG Chief told President Muhammadu Buhari that the country can\u2019t run away from it, saying it remained the best panacea for peace and unity among diverse Nigerian citizens.<\/p>\n
\u201cNigeria needs to be restructured, but what we need is classical restructuring, it might not be holistic for now. With restructuring, governance at the state will be healthier and more benefiting, the running of the states will be healthier.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernance under presidential system is very powerful and costly, but with power residing in the states and local governments, things will be better. We must must have a roundtable referendum to achieve this. It is not to satisfy certain groups, it will bring geometric progressive order, because we have not been moving at the right pace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Africa Press-Nigeria: The Afenifere Renewal Group(ARG), has said prominent Yoruba leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be blamed if the southwest fails to clinch the presidential ticket of the party in 2023 due to unwarranted divisions. The ARG said the APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, party\u2019s pioneer Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":27271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,16],"tags":[34,308,945],"class_list":["post-27268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-parties","tag-apc","tag-ekiti","tag-tinubu"],"yoast_head":"\n