In a recent development, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has reaffirmed its backing of Peter Obi and expressed its support for his appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) judgment. The judgment had upheld President Bola Tinubu’s election victory.
Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, had previously contested Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the February election through legal channels. However, the court dismissed his petition, as well as the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Atiku Abubakar.
In response to Peter Obi’s decision to pursue the matter at the Supreme Court, Afenifere issued a communique following a meeting held at the Ogun residence of its leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, on Tuesday.
In the communique, the group stated its continued conviction and unwavering commitment to the principles that led to its endorsement of Mr. Peter Obi as the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
“In line with our disagreement with the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the 2023 elections, we support a further appeal to the Supreme Court in the interest of the nation.”
It also faulted the court’s “pronouncements that the INEC is at liberty to return to the manual collation of election results and all the primitive electoral brigandage associated.
“Neither is it true with our political structure that Nigeria is now a 37-state federation as the Court of Appeal erroneously pronounced.”
Afenifere further maintained that “no person or group of persons shall hold the reins of power except in the proven interest of a fair, equitable, inclusive and thus united Nigeria in their peaceful, prosperous and harmonious diversity.”
Away from that, the group urged the Federal Government to heed the demands of labour unions who have vowed to go on strike owing to the removal of the fuel subsidy and the rising cost of living among others.
“Government is called upon to look into the plight of Nigerians and listen to the NLC to avert the looming strikes in the interests of the already prostate economy,” the communique issued by Adebanjo read.
“Government needs to open up to Nigerians and those in power come down from their ostentatious lifestyles,” Afenifere noted.
“From the humongous number of 50 Ministers with an intractable number of aides, it is unacceptable that the people are being called upon to make further sacrifices.”