The National Leader of the Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwsjuruba, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, has explained why the Southwest will not vote for the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
In a reaction to the recent endorsement of Atiku by a socio cultural group in the geo-political zone, the Nigeria Leaders and Elders Forum, Fasanmi, through a statement by him, said the PDP candidate’s “unprincipled pursuit of his political goals is a stranger to the generally accepted leadership culture of the South west.”
According to the Second Republic senator, character traits such as courage of conviction, fortitude, patience, perseverance and commitment to group goals are essential qualities that the Southwest insist on from “their political leaders,” adding that “Atiku are in short supply of these.”
Fasanmi said the attention Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba has been drawn to “the news of a recent endorsement of the PDP candidate Alh Atiku Abubakar by a motley socio cultural group which calls itself Nigeria Leaders and Elders forum and which particularly includes a group which has been parading itself under the name of Afenifere for some time now.
“We sympathise with Atiku Abubakar ahead of the February 16 presidential election if he actually believes that his endorsement by this Afenifere will translate into a harvest of votes for him in the southwest because it cannot. In the first instance, the atrocities of the PDP in the southwest is not something that can be so easily forgotten nor hastily forgiven without genuine repentance.
“The PDP has neither reformed nor repented from its ways as it continues to brazenly promote economic exclusion, evidenced in its stringent attack and condemnation of the TraderMoni programme of the APC which is targeted at lifting the poorest of the poor from abject poverty. It’s recent staunch stand for the protection of an erring Chief Justice of Nigeria in what appears to be extensive criminality over a fairly long period clearly demonstrates where the PDP stands in the fight against corruption and for the enthronement of virtues and policies that are so critical to our overall well being and progress as a nation.
“Finally, nothing demonstrates the loss of connection between this Atiku Afenifere and the people of the southwest than the fact that they are recommending Alh Atiku Abubakar for the people of the southwest zone of Nigeria as someone that deserves their vote.
“Atiku Abubakar without prejudice to his other virtues represents the opposite of all that the southwest cherishes in political leadership. A man who has transversed the entire range of the political spectrum in just a little more than a decade cannot be recommended to the southwest by anyone who is truly in touch with the leadership preference of the southwest.
“From the PDP to Action Congress to the Action Congress of Nigeria to the PDP and then to the All Progresdoves Congress and back to the PDP within a decade represents a new level of crass political opportunism, an attribute which the southwest holds in disdain.
“Unprincipled pursuit of political goals is a stranger to the generally accepted leadership culture of the southwest.
“Character traits such as Courage of Conviction, fortitude, patience, perseverance and commitment to group goals are essential qualities that the southwest insist on from their political leaders all of which are clearly in short supply in the PDP candidate.
“It is in view of the above that Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba calls on the people of the entire southwest to remain strong focused and committed in their journey to the next level under the leadership of President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo and ensure that they cast their votes for all ÀPC candidates in the forthcoming elections.”
