Afenifere chieftain, Chief Olu Falae, has backed the agitation for Peter Obi as Nigeria next president despite the past political sins of the Igbo against him and the Yoruba.
Falae who joined the growing number of Yoruba leaders backing Peter Obi, however, claimed ignorance of an Afenifere position on the next election.
Newsmen report that among prominent Yoruba leaders to have backed Peter Obi are Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Dr Doyin Okupe who is marshaling the campaign from the backroom and Mr Akin Osuntokun who is leading the campaign in the Southwest.
Falae, a former minister of finance and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF said:
“I am an Afenifere but as far as I am aware, Afenifere has not taken a position as an organization on a presidential candidate. That is the position.”
However, noting the political sins of the Igbo against the Yoruba, he said:
“I did say sometimes ago that the Yoruba, as a people, are not morally obliged to vote for an Igbo presidential candidate because in 1999, when the rest of Nigeria conceded the presidency to Yoruba because of MKO Abiola’s issue, it was only the Igbo, who did not.
“I had to defeat Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife in the Alliance for Democracy to become the candidate for the AD/APP. Olusegun Obasanjo had to defeat Dr Alex Ekuweme in the PDP to become a candidate.
“The Igbo were the only ones that opposed both of us in our respective parties; they did not concede to us along with other Nigerians.
“However, if you are a fair-minded Yoruba person, you will realise that there are three legs to the political tripods in Nigeria, the Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo.
“The first two have been presidents and so, equity requires that the Igbo should be president. So, if you are a fair-minded Yoruba person like I am, then you will vote for the Igbo based on equity,” Falae said in endorsing Peter Obi despite the transgressions of the Igbo against the Yoruba.
