AMIDST
allegation of marginalization, President Muhammadu Buhari has been
advised to take urgent steps to save his political career in the
South-west geo-political zone.
Dr. Frederick Fasehun, the
founder of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, described alleged
marginalization of the Yoruba in Buhari’s government as real.
He
called on the president to do the needful, warning that the people from
the geo-political zone may use their votes to punish the president and
APC in 2019 general elections, unless there is a redress.
When
asked in what ways do he think Yoruba ethnic group has been marginalized
by the Federal Government, the medical practitioner in an interview
with the Saturday edition of Sun Newspaper said “You don’t need to look
far before you can see the difference. Look at all the key appointments
the president has been making since coming to power, the north is
favoured more than the south. It is only inconsequential positions that
are being handed Yoruba and other ethnic nationalities. Key appointments
and influential positions are given to the north, and it is very
unfortunate that some people would always found justification for the
president’s action, but Nigerians can’t be fooled.”
When
reminded that the yoruba race has the number two man in the country, the
81 year old elderstatesman from Ondo dismissed the saying describing
the country’s vice president, Osinbajo as a spare tyre.
The
statesman also describe Afenifere who has also been championing the
marginalization cause as been dead, suggesting that the group needs to
be rebranded.
When asked to elaborate the useful lessons
he claims the Yoruba have learnt in their marginalization by the
Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,
the notable yoruba leader said “What I meant is that our people must
have learnt a bitter lesson from the way they are being treated by the
present leadership under President Muhammadu Buhari.
“You know as
the saying goes, words of elders are words of wisdom. Not only that God
used some elders including myself in the run-up to the 2015 general
elections, that we should not only raise alarm, but also warn Yoruba
about going into any romance or alliance with General Buhari.
“When
we were raising that alarm, it is not that we have personal hatred or
harboured any grudge against Buhari, but our opposition against Buhari
was hinged on the fact that this man was in power before and we all knew
how he marginalized other sections of the country, promoting only the
northern interests.
“People complained that time against his
style, but Buhari refused to budge, under Buhari’s military leadership
then, Nigeria was almost turned into Animal Farm where some animals were
equal than others.
“As the saying goes, a leopard can’t change
its spots, and that was why we warned Nigerians that time, especially
the Yoruba, that helping Buhari to get political power would amount to
nothing but political suicide. Voting for Buhari or helping Buhari to
get political power is like riding on the back of a tiger, and if you
are not careful, you end up in the belly of that tiger. This is exactly
what is happening today, Buhari has not changed a bit. He has only
changed his military garb for civilian attires, but the man still
remains the same, stubborn and a biased leader.
“Forget whatever
his supporters and media handlers are saying, Buhari is pro-North 100
per cent, and he doesn’t care about the feelings of other sections of
the country, especially the South. Buhari is not a national leader, it
would be wrong for anybody or any genuine patriot to describe Buhari as a
national leader.
“However, it is not only the Yoruba that Buhari
has marginalised, he has marginalized the entire South. Buhari is
Nigeria’s president, but from his actions, he doesn’t behave or act like
a leader who sees the entire nation as his constituency.”
While
admitting organising a Pan-Yoruba Conference to promote peace and unity
of his ethnic group, he distanced that it is at the instance of Asiwaju
Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC
who some people, especially some Yoruba elders felt is being
marginalised within the APC fold.
When asked what will be
Yoruba’s reaction in the next general election, considering Buhari’s
perceived betrayal of the South-west, he said “the answer is very
simple. Buhari should forget South-west in 2019. People’s eyes are open
now and not only in Yorubaland, even in the North people are tired of
Buhari’s administration.
“Apart from betrayal or no
betrayal, what has Buhari done to deserve coming back? Almost two years
into his administration, Nigerians have become more pauperized. There is
pain and hunger in the land. Nigerians are really angry with this APC
government.
“Initially, when they were coming into office, were
Nigerians not cheering Buhari and APC, but what is the situation today?
Those Nigerians who were cheering Buhari and APC are now jeering at
them. People are fed up. Even in the North, people are clamouring for
change. When people shout APC in those days, others would respond
Change, but today when you shout APC instead of people replying you with
“Change”, they are replying “APC Shame.
“Buhari and other APC
leaders should read the handwriting on the wall, and start doing the
needful, because 2019 is almost here with us, and millions of Nigerians
are eager to punish Buhari and APC with their votes.”
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