Tinubu’s Presidential ambition: Adebanjo can’t speak for North – Arewa group

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A political pressure group, Arewa New Agenda (ANA) has said the leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo cannot does not and cannot speak for the North regrading the 2023 Presidential ambition of the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Briefing journàlists yesterday in Abuja, the Convener/Leader Arewa New Agenda, Senator Ahmad Abubakar MoAllahyidi, said the north is renowned for keeping promises, adding that the region will not disappoint Tinubu, whom he described as having played key role in helping the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari to defeat ex President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Senator MoAllahyidi said it was in keeping to this promise that the APC Governors in the Northern region unanimously agreed to cede power to the South, adding that the statement credited to Pa Adebanjo that the North will not vote for Tinubu is more of a meddlesome interloper in the affairs of the North.
“When has he become a spokesman for the North? for his information the north has never failed to keep to its promise; when the north makes a covenant, the north keeps to it.
“Pa Ayo, is not a northerner, and we cannot remember when we northerners appointed him to convey a message to any one; therefore, his assertion as widely reported is not only false but unfounded and can be better seen as the action of a meddlesome interloper or on a lighter scale the antics of a busy body.
“Given what is unfolding in the South West today, Pa Ayo’s attempt to justify his position by saying that his submission is based on fairness, justice and equity is indeed laughable because it was said that whoever is coming to equity must come with clean hands.
“Records have shown that every presidential candidate that Pa Ayo opposes ended up winning the election- Asiwajus’s case will not be different
Just because Pa Ayo has some differences with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not in any way means that the Yoruba race think the same, as we have our doubts that he has the mandate to speak for the Yoruba.
“We warn that this is the time for high wire political activities that usually culminates into tension and suspicion; we call for restrain in all utterances. From our research Pa Ayo’s statement was not driven by any nationalist instinct or principle; it is just a personal vendetta against the personality of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We advise Pa Ayo to stop taking advantage of Yoruba culture of respect to pursue a very myopic, narrow minded and selfish political vendetta, this a pure act of mischief and malice.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has visited many States in the North, made policy statements and made a committal promises to us, if GOD Almighty gives him the opportunity to serve as our next president, we the northerners will hold him accountable to that”, the group said.
Recall that Adebanjo had, during a rally of Labour Party in Abeokuta, Ogun State, cautioned Tinubu to come home and join Obi to win the 2023 Presidential election, warning him that the North politicians are only deceiving him to collect his money, and discard him at the end.
He said the Northern politicians, based on antecedents, have always collected money from prominent Yoruba politicians, and at the end, work against them, arguing that the case of Tinubu will certainly not be different.
Meanwhile, Arewa New Agenda is a forum of concern northerners comprising of academics, serving and former legislators, diplomas, technocrats, development practitioners, women and youth leaders, politicians, artisans, traders and farmers, positioning to set an agenda for protection of the interest of the North.