“Ayo Adebanjo should be celebrated for his self-sacrificing and altruistic dedication to the cause of a better Nigeria, rather than being vilified.”
By Emma Ogbuehi
A pan-Igbo organisation, Anya-Ndi-Igbo, has described the leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, as a patriot who has spent his life fighting for the enthronement of equity, fairness and justice in Nigeria.
The group said for his perseverance and steadfastness, Adebanjo is a treasure to the country who should be celebrated by all well-meaning citizens.
Anya-Ndi-Igbo is a group set up by eminent, patriotic elders and forward looking Ndi-Igbo in Nigeria and the diaspora for the purpose of playing the role of a high level coordinating pan-Igbo organization and think-thank for the preservation, progress and well-being of Ndi-Igbo.
A statement by the group’s leader, Dr. Uma Eleazu, which was made available to TheNiche, said Chief Adebanjo at 94 years “should be celebrated for his self-sacrificing and altruistic dedication to the cause of a better Nigeria, rather than being vilified.”
Dr. Eleazu, who is 92-years-old, said Anya-Ndi-Igbo’s position was informed by the recent attacks by some misguided persons on the Afenifere leader over his position on the 2023 presidency.
Chief Adebanjo has been consistent in his advocacy that for the sake of equity, fairness and justice, the presidency should be ceded to the Southeast region.
Recently, he said Afenifere will support the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, in the 2023 presidential poll.
The Afenifere leader said the decision to support Obi is based on equity and fairness, adding that it will engender peace in the country.
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Adebanjo said: “Yes we have endorsed Peter Obi. My reason for supporting him is because based on equity and justice the presidency should go to the Southeast. That is what I have been saying. I have not changed my position on that. If you want peace and tranquility in this country; if you want the country to be united, we must do the right thing by ensuring the presidency goes to the South-East. I have no reason to change my stand.”
His position has, however, been faulted by some of his kinsmen who are supporting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), primarily because he is Yoruba.
But Dr. Eleazu said Chief Adebanjo should be praised for his steadfastness and patriotism rather than being vilified by disgruntled elements.
The statement titled, “Ayo Adebanjo, a patriot par excellence,” reads:
“Nigeria is at a crossroads politically, socially and economically and needs statesmen with uncommon patriotic zeal to pull it back from the precipice.
“Chief Ayo Adebanjo is one of such men. At 94 years, a protégé of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who has spent his entire life fighting for Nigeria’s renaissance, Adebanjo, no doubt, has done his bit and deserves rest at the twilight of his life.
“The fact that he is still at the barricades pointing out the path to an egalitarian society, fighting for a Nigeria that works for all, a country where equity, fairness and justice trump debilitating primordial fault lines of ethnicity and religion, underscores his essence.
“The Afenifere leader’s decision to throw his considerable moral weight behind the presidential candidature of Mr. Peter Obi, rather than his kinsman, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is true to character. Adebanjo has been at the forefront in the agitation that a Southeasterner should be entrusted with power. He has been steadfast in his advocacy that the Southeast geopolitical zone deserves to lead the country.
“Sadly, albeit expectedly, Chief Adebanjo has been criticized by some of his kinsmen who accuse him of betraying the Yoruba by not supporting Tinubu, his supposed bête noire.
“Such people miss the point. There is nothing personal in Adebanjo’s action. His clamour for a Nigerian president of Southeast extraction predates the presidential primaries that threw up both Obi and Tinubu. And though he believes that politics of inclusiveness is what Nigeria needs right now, his support for Obi is predicated on his belief that he is not only competent but also a breath of fresh air.
“Chief Adebanjo and I are contemporaries and worked closely together as members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). He is consistent and unswerving. His overarching vision is a Nigeria that works for all, a country where citizens, no matter their station in life, are able to realize their potentials.
“He should be celebrated for his self-sacrificing and altruistic dedication to the cause of a better Nigeria, rather than being vilified.”