The Muslim Rights Concern has lambasted the pan Yoruba group, Afenifere, over its stand on the presidential aspiration of the All Progressives Congress leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The Afenifere is insisting that the country should first be restructured before it can back any candidate.
But MURIC’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, holds this against the organisation.
He says in a statement on Tuesday:
“The Afenifere is making a great mistake by distancing itself from Tinubu simply because the latter supported President Muhammadu Buhari. Afenifere is playing parochial politics. There is no scintilla of doubt that regional politics is parochial politics. It is myopic and unpatriotic. A visionary group will extend its horizon. That is what Tinubu has done and his nationalistic mien has earned him nationwide acceptance. You cannot remain locked up in your shell and expect the whole country to embrace you. Afenifere should wise up.
“Afenifere has one or two lessons to learn from the Igbo. Unlike Afenifere’s cold attitude towards the only Yoruba man who has shown interest in the presidency (at least publicly), the Igbo socio-cultural group, the Ohaneze, has pledged to support two Igbo men (Anyim Pius Anyim and Dave Umahi) who have expressed interest in the presidency with 10 billion naira. That is the spirit.
“We call on Afenifere to sharpen its political instinct. An adage says one good turn deserves another. The Yoruba socio-cultural group should neither reject its best candidate nor remain neutral at a time others are embracing their own.”
