The pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, in a statement released on Wednesday to newsmen on the Outlook of Nigeria at 60 by its Secretary General, Sehinde Arogbofa and its spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, dismissed the ongoing constitution review by the National Assembly.
Arogbofa said rather than embarking on another constitution review, which he described as a waste of time and resources, the regime of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) should look at the report of the 2014 national conference, which it abandoned.
He opposed a bloody revolution in the country, but warned that a part of the country could not continue to treat other parts as third class citizens.He said, “We are not asking for war, but those who are treating other parts of the country as third class citizens are the people pushing us towards a precipice.
“We will continue to use our intelligence to fight the fight as nobody will carry any weapon for war.” Also, Odumakin faulted Nigeria’s federal structure. “What we are running is the unitary rule that we fraudulently call federalism.
Afenifere insists on the restructuring of Nigeria into true federalism to avoid the agitation for separation. Odumakin, in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria at 60: Nigeria not at ease,’ said, “As Nigeria celebrates its 60th anniversary in the midst of divisions, tensions and underdevelopment, said Afenifere is worried that the country has yet to find its bearing at 60.“Only few weeks back, former President Olusegun Obasanjo observed that the country was drifting towards state failure which was fully backed by Prof. Wole Soyinka.“Even the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, on the eve of the anniversary, declared that the cracks on the wall of Nigeria could lead to its break-up. Unfortunately, the country lacks a leadership that could mend the cracks.
“On a daily basis, all the steps being taken by our governments are mostly the ones that could deepen the cracks.“It is not surprising that the country is filled with separatist feelings at 60. Afenifere is convinced that Nigeria can still be salvaged if the right thing is done. The country must restructure immediately into true federalism lest it gives all the necessary enablement to separatist forces.”