The leader of Afenifere, a pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, on Saturday, took a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, saying Northerners would not vote for him.
Adebanjo also urged Tinubu to quit the race and declare support for his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi.
He spoke alongside another top member of Afenifere, Senator Femi Okunronmu, during the LP presidential campaign rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The campaign rally which held at the Ake Palace ground has in attendance, Obi, his vice presidential candidate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed Datti, the national Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, and other party leaders.
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Addressing the crowd, Adebanjo who spoke in Yoruba, took a swipe at Tinubu, describing him as a failure.
He asked Tinubu to withdraw his candidature and join Obi/Datti movement, saying the North he is banking on, would disappoint him.
The Afenifere leader described the LP as the new the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which according to him would save Nigerians from the misrule of the APC.
Adebanjo said, “All those that know Tinubu should tell him. I have always told and I will tell him again, the Northers will not vote for him.
“He (Tinubu) should come back home now and support Obi because when they finally defeat him, he won’t have the courage to come back home again, if he comes back now, we will forgive him and take him back.
“I have told you before and I want to say it again, Labour Party is now NADECO, those of us supporting Obi are the ones that want good governance, we want Nigeria to be better, we want to liberate ourselves from the captive of the ruling class.”
Obi had earlier paid a visit to the palace of the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo before addressing hundreds of youths at a town hall meeting held within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
Speaking at the Alake palace, Obi described Nigeria as one of the most insecure countries of the world “which is no longer in control of your territory”.
He said, “For me, I have served the people of Anambra State and was rated as number 1 in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the records are there. Even in the areas of education and taking people out of poverty without borrowing a Kobo from anybody and I paid all the pensions being owed before I assumed office.
“So, let presidential candidates come out and show Nigerians what they have done in the past before aspiring to govern the country.
“We are determined for a new Nigeria; we want people who are confident, who are qualified for the job. This year’s elections is very essential, we can no longer be comfortable with incompetence. We want people who will show commitments; this job requires physical and mental energies. So, w want people who are ready for the job. Myself and Datti want to change Nigeria.”
