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.”
Source : Socialtimes
