Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

Elder statesman and Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, on Tuesday said Ni­gerians should not be fooled by those saying Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor, will restructure Nigeria if he becomes presi­dent in 2023.

President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to imple­ment the report of the 2014 National Conference which was set up by his predecessor former President Goodluck Jonathan, comprising emi­nent Nigerians from across the country.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also set up the Committee on True Federal­ism in 2017. The committee had submitted its report since January 2018 but the party has failed to implement it.

Responding to those claim­ing Tinubu has no powers to restructure the country now but will do so if he becomes president in 2023, Adebanjo said given Tinubu’s silence on restructuring now, anyone thinking he will restructure the country when he becomes president is being deceived.

“Tinubu cannot restruc­ture Nigeria even if he becomes president tomorrow. Don’t let anyone deceive you about that. I have told Tinubu that if he wants to become president after the constitution of our people have been made, that is another matter but definitely not under this current consti­tution".

“That people’s constitu­tion would have settled how power rotation is going to be. We won’t be embarrassed by people who are now telling us that zoning or power rotation is not in the constitution”.

Adebanjo, who also said he won’t support Tinubu if he solicits his support for the 2023 presidency, added that the 2023 may not hold unless Nigeria is restructured. Ac­cording to him, recent devel­opments in the country have pointed to the fact that Nige­ria may not survive the 2023 general elections.

“If Tinubu declares for president tomorrow and seeks my support, I won’t sup­port him. I have told him that even if they choose my son as president under this constitu­tion, I will oppose him. This is an obnoxious constitution. It is a constitution by the North­ern elite to oppress the South. All the things that are causing conflict in the country today is in the constitution made by the military”.

On why he is opposed to Tinubu, Adebanjo said Tinubu betrayed the Yoruba nation over his continued si­lence on the crisis rocking the South-West as a result of the nefarious activities of killer herdsmen.

“All these things they are doing against the South-West now, what is Tinubu saying about it? He can’t talk. That was why I said he is deceiving Buhari and Buhari is also de­ceiving him”.

He also said he has never demanded money from the APC national leader at any point in time, challenging him or any of his supporters to provide any evidence if they believe he did.

“Tinubu’s supporters have claimed that one of the reasons why we parted ways was because he likes spending money for people while elders like us are stingy. That is true and I have challenged him that if I were to ask for mon­ey, how much did he give me before I took the action that made him governor? The late Ganiyu Dawodu as the state chairman of Lagos State AD had already forwarded the name of Funsho Williams as winner of the primary. I overturned it as the national chairman".

“When there was a dispute between him and Dawodu, the woman he called his moth­er, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, whom I have known since Ac­tion Group days phoned me to intervene. I told her ‘Alhaja, you know me. I am standing for truth. Ask your son, did I get a penny from him before I recognised him?

“When he was trying to undermine his then deputy, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, and we told him that he can’t do that. I also spoke with Kafa­ru Tinubu and I said ‘Kafaru, if I ask you for N20 million at that time, won’t you give me? He said I will give you. I then asked ‘why can’t we talk to this boy (Tinubu)?

“That is how no matter how much I criticise him, he will only reply me back through his boys who are his mouthpiece. He will never re­ply me directly. I stood by him through thick and thin on principle, not for any material gain. He can’t say ‘Papas, stop threatening me because this is how much I gave you’. That is the integrity I’m selling.

“When he was governor, he was stubborn on certain issues. So, during Christmas, he gave myself, Papa Abra­ham Adesanya and Olanihun Ajayi cows as Christmas pres­ent, but we returned them to him. We told him we won’t accept his gifts because we talked to him but he refused to listen".

“On a certain occasion when he brought Christmas present, I told Tunde Rahman, his media aide, who brought it that if I reject this gift now, people will say this man never forgives. That was how I col­lected the gift”, he said.

Adebanjo also took a swipe at Vice President Yemi Osin­bajo on the claim by some Nigerians that he was hand­icapped to speak on restruc­turing. He said when the issue of restructuring was being canvassed across the country, Osinbajo said the agitators were political jobbers.

“How is Osinbajo handi­capped? Is that not the man who said what do we under­stand by restructuring? How is he handicapped? Is that not the same Osinbajo who took Obasanjo to court over creation of local government in Lagos on the issue of true federalism when he was At­torney-General in Lagos? What has changed now?"

https://www.independent.ng/2023-tinubu-wont-restructure-nigeria-if-he-becomes-president-ayo-adebanjo/

Pa Adebanjo might be saying the truth, trust politicians at your own peril. Besides I don't think Tinubu has ever even openly supported restructuring.

Not even Atiku. They all use restructuring to campaign. Once they win and see the power involved, they change the music

Baba Adebanjo e jebure awo olugbebe.

Could you please tell us who will restructure Nigeria that we should vote for?

Let’s all queue behind Atiku then since you supported him in 2019, maybe he will restructure Nigeria in 2023 if he becomes the president.

Which Nigeria?

Shey the one that expired since 2014?

None of ‘em.

Human government has failed.

Even a little Child knows this

I am beginning to hate this fool because of his silence on fulani issues

how did it expire?

butterfly777:
Which Nigeria?

Shey the one that expired since 2014?

Odua1stson:
I am beginning to hate this fool because of his silence on fulani issues

Tinubu I guess

Sensible Yorubas should follow this man

PrinceOfLagos:
Tinubu I guess

yeah

nairavsdollars post=99p145026:
how did it expire?

In 1914, different African kingdoms that were conquered by the British were merged by the colonial masters. They called it amalgamation.

This was done to last for a hundred years, and the purpose was for easy administration of the different kingdoms by the British Conquerors.

This 100-year arrangement elapsed in 2014.

It is now up to us to organize how to go back to our separate ways.

Awon agba Iranu.

Has if Tinubu consulted him privately about his presidential ambition

LegendHero:
Baba Adebanjo e jebure awo olugbebe.

Could you please tell us who will restructure Nigeria that we should vote for?

Let’s all queue behind Atiku then since you supported him in 2019, maybe he will restructure Nigeria in 2023 if he becomes the president.

Dont mind him. Adebanjo is the worst kind of Yoruba. A sellout who then passionately takes up the duty of sabotaging his own kinsmen for pecuniary gain and so our enemies can profit.

How many times do we see Northerners , evening those in opposing political camps, criticize each other?

This is precisely how they hold on to power they are the worst at using. Yet those of us in the South keep showing we are more greedy and ready to backstabbing our brothers and ethnic group.

Everything is very tense and every advantage must be guarded yet you are coming out to shade Tinubu. Of what good is this man's action to his own Yorubas other than hand more ammunition to the North desperate to hold on to power in 2023 they will keep using to regress us all?

Is Adebanjo , after what we have all seen from Buhari, not wise enough to know Nigeria must gain a 2023 President that is not Fulani or Fulani-controlled? Yet he is an Atiku fan while looking to discredit BAT I am sure he envies deeply.

Awon afenifebi.... Adebanjo should support his Atifku in peace without involving Tinubu names.

Who tell you Atiku will restructure too if he becomes president?

Oshigun:


Dont mind him. Adebanjo is the worst kind of Yoruba. A sellout who then passionately takes up the duty of sabotaging his own kinsmen for pecuniary gain and so our enemies can profit.

How many times do we see Northerners , evening those in opposing political camps, criticize each other?

This is precisely how they hold on to power they are the worst at using. Yet those of us in the South keep showing we are more greedy and ready to backstabbing our brothers and ethnic group.

Everything is very tense and every advantage must be guarded yet you are coming out to shade Tinubu. Of what good is this man's action to his own Yorubas other than hand more ammunition to the North desperate to hold on to power in 2023 they will keep using to regress us all?

Is Adebanjo , after what we have all seen from Buhari, not wise enough to know Nigeria must gain a 2023 President that is not Fulani or Fulani-controlled? Yet he is an Atiku fan while looking to discredit BAT I am sure he envies deeply.

Nigeria lacks visionary leaders....wetin dem get na public funds embezzlers

Tinubu wont ever become president of Nigeria

Ara baba yi o ya , they all see Tinubu in their dream and real life

chai in a country of millions of good people its only old evil men they present to rule us just take a look at buhari.now na tinubu.may God punish anyone that will vote another calamity of evil man to rule this nation.may the hand they will use to vote break nonsenses

Who wanna make him president?

No Nigerian politician is interested in restructuring

Partly because restructuring is a vague concept; no one knows exactly what it entails but broadly because they use restructuring as a stick to beat their opponents out of power

And once in power nothing happens.

Gej and bubu were propronents of restructuring. How far since they got power...?

:

Sell this country and give me my share

Talks on 2023, when security of life and property is not defined on a promising level.

What's the essence of it all.

Regional government or nothing else
Or better still

South ....Nigeria ....Confederation

Meanwhile why must the south keep up with the fanatics

Bola Ahmed Tinubu never said that he will restructure Nigeria. No one can as long as the North is part of this country and hold so much influence. But Tinubu will use his years of experience in governing a complex and complicated state like Lagos to bring about drastic turn around in the affairs of the country. The change will surely be for good.

We can barely all survive this year with all this atrocities in the news yet some idiots focus on 2023.