Afenifere warns Buhari against selective corruption fight, asks him to implement 2014 confab report

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has charged President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, not to be selective in his fight against corruption.

The group also called on him to ensure the implementation of the confab report as a way out of corruption and the complexities of Nigeria’s federal system.

In a communique issued on Wednesday in Akure after a meeting held at the home of its leader, Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere admitted that corruption was pervasive and systemic in the country’s polity and therefore required a decisive approach if the country must move forward.

The communique stated, “In our view, devolution of power is the panacea to issues of corruption, generation of electricity, qualitative education, issues of security and other policies that will ensure a fair society.”

While commending President Goodluck Jonathan’s acceptance of results of the last polls, Afenifere described his gesture as a patriotic action that saved the country from possible crisis.

The group, which said it was fully aware of the misunderstanding of its position in supporting President Jonathan in the 2015 election, ‎added that the position was taken in the overall interest of the Yoruba race and the country.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the ‎President-elect, General Buhari (Rtd) himself would attest to our not being induced in supporting him in 2007. We were certainly not induced to support President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Our decision was based on our age-long commitment to support a presidential candidate committed to restructuring of Nigeria.

“‎Afenifere supported Buhari in 2007 when he agreed with Afenifere that he would restructure Nigeria and President Jonathan in 2015 because of his support for the National Conference and devolution of power.

“We will continued to make representation to the President-elect to ‎implement the 2014 Conference resolutions, particularly with regards to restructuring and reduction of recurrent expenditure.

“We call on Yoruba people irrespective of their ‎political leanings to continue to pursue the implementation of the report,” the Afenifere stated.

It restated its support for the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) as its own platform for political power attainment and called on its members to continue with its principled philosophy of being the conscience of the nation.

The group congratulated all SDP members who won legislative seats ‎in the various states of the federation, but admonished those who lost not to despair.