The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has slammed apex Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, over the group’s stance on not supporting the 2023 presidential bid of former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement by its Director General, Prof. Ishaq Akintola on Tuesday, MURIC stated that Afenifere’s refusal to support Tinubu is a slap on the Yoruba race in “view of Tinubu’s active role in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.”
The MURIC DG said he was surprised that a Yoruba socio-cultural group which was supposed to be a rallying point for all Yorubas should come out in the open to denounce one of its own because of the differences between its leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, and the APC chieftain.
The Muslim group added that Tinubu deserves to reap from the gains of democracy, having sacrificed for its realisation and as such, should be supported, especially by the Yoruba group.
It described the action of Afenifere as “myopic and unpatriotic,” saying the group “has one or two lessons to learn from the Igbos.”
“Unlike Afenifere’s cold attitude towards the only Yoruba man who has shown interest in the presidency (at least publicly), the Igbo socio-cultural group, the Ohaneze, has pledged to support two Igbo men (Anyim Pius Anyim and Dave Umahi), who have expressed interest in the presidency with 10 billion naira,” MURIC said in the statement.
“We call on Afenifere to sharpen its political instinct. An adage says one good turn deserves another. The Yoruba socio-cultural group should neither reject its best candidate nor remain neutral at a time others are embracing their own,” it added.