A faction of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, led by Oba Olaitan Oladapo, alongside allies of 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, paid a visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta to discuss the state of the nation.
The closed-door meeting took place at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, as confirmed by Secretary General of Afenifere, Sola Ebiseni, in a statement shared with journalists on Friday, August 8.
According to Ebiseni, the delegation included himself and former political adviser to Obasanjo, Akin Osuntokun.
Also present were Lagos State Coordinator for Obi’s 2023 campaign, John Ughulu, and the campaign’s secretary, Dr. Folaseye Adebayo.
After the meeting, Osuntokun told journalists, “We are honoured for that deep conversation with Baba on the state of the nation, despite his very tight schedule as you can see.”
Describing the meeting as a consultation, he added, “But you know Baba for his passion for Nigeria, and our position remains that Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and leadership at the highest level should reflect our collective aspiration for fairness, inclusiveness, and justice.
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“No region holds an exclusive right to power, and the notion of entitlement by any region or ethnic nationality to the leadership of the nation is unhealthy for national stability and its democratic growth.”
Commenting on opposition efforts to form a united front, Ebiseni welcomed the idea as a safeguard against one-party dominance. However, he warned that any such coalition must honour regional rotation.
He said, “The APC emerged as a coalition which in 2013 aligned itself with the popular sentiment of regional rotation and strategically settled for a President of northern origin, by which Buhari succeeded Jonathan.”
Ebiseni noted that, “Afenifere and other groups, including the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum and the Southern governors, were in the forefront insisting uncompromisingly that only a President of Southern origin would succeed Buhari after eight years as we have it today.”
He concluded, “The fact speaks for itself that there can be no serious proposition today against the fullness of the eight-year tenure of the South.
“It is not about individual political actors or parties. It is a consensus for regional mutual respect and national political stability.”