In a strong demonstration of capacity to form a common front to make demands in the interests of the North, six groups and institutions from that part of the country comprising the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Arewa House, Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa and Arewa Research and Development Project, have come together under the umbrella, Arewa Joint Committee to put major presidential candidates to task on what plans they have for the North in particular and Nigeria in general.
As a bloc, they have set agenda how candidates seeking to take the baton from President Muhammadu Buhari should be held to open their books of promises in other major political blocs of the country.
Jimi Agbaje, now a not-too-active member of the Yoruba group, Afenifere, three times governorship candidate in Lagos State dissects the way Yoruba carry themselves not promoting much of group, but personal interests. He concludes this might make such a parley as the North had with major presidential candidates a mirage for the Yoruba political bloc. He spoke with NPO Reports’ OPEYEMI KAMIL
The North, as a political bloc, has engaged major presidential candidates ahead of the 2023. When and how do you expect Yoruba to do same?
I think we just have to accept that we are a very different people.
Do you think the Yoruba are united enough to be able to put up a joint meeting that presidential candidates will respect and be eager to honour?
That’s what I have just said; that the groups that came together in the North is a coalition that would be difficult to ignore. There are groups in the South-West, in Yoruba Land but am not sure that they would be able to come together and put such together because it’s not just the way we do things in this part of the country.
Afenifere is divided, which other Yoruba groups do you think can come together to present such a common front to engage these candidates?
I don’t agree that Afenifere is divided. Afenifere is not divided. You can say that there are people that do not agree with Afenifere; which is a different thing. But it’s not divided. I’m not aware except where you do have some mischief here and there, where some people do claim they are Afenifere. But, for me, I don’t see Afenifere as divided. It’s not divided. There are other groups like I said but I don’t see them wanting to come together under one umbrella to do the kind of thing that has happened in the North.
You just said Afenifere is not divided but there are disagreements. With their disagreement, what does that portend for the unity of Yoruba?
Get me right. I said Afenifere is not divided. There are people outside Afenifere, not within Afenifere, that do not agree with Afenifere. I, as an example, am not an active member of Afenifere at this point in time but I know Afenifere is not divided.
But don’t you see that the current state of affairs further weakens the position of Yoruba for this kind of engagement?
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It does! It weakens us. That’s why I said that the North has been able to show strength. The coalition that they put together are not coalition of people that believe in each other but they believe in the interest of the North and in our own part, we do not look at it like that. We take this service to the interest of Yoruba generally. We have more interest in our own personal interests. We believe that our personal interest is above the group interest whereas it is different in the other parts. They believe that the group interest stays on the individual interest but we take it the other way. We are more particular about our personal interest against the group interest. So, it becomes very difficult to come together for that group interest.
Sir, if you look at the major contenders in the presidential election from Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani and Igbo extractions, do you think this has further fuelled the ethnic sentiments in the polity?
Well, it is obvious that it’s playing out at this point in time but it’s unfortunate because it should not be. But, that is what is playing out, it’s clear. Even the two major parties you would see that it has played out; one, in term of religion, the other in term of ethnicity. So, it is playing out and it’s unfortunate but that is what is playing out.
Looking at the whole scenario, who do you think Yoruba should support as a bloc?
Well, I won’t comment on that at this point in time on whom Yoruba should support.
What then is your advice on the general election and what should we look out for in all the contestants?
Look out for the person that, in the first place, would move Nigeria forward. Believe that if Nigeria moves forward in the kind of environment that people can thrive, the Yoruba would thrive in an environment of freedom of equity and justice of good policies, good governance. That’s where the Yoruba would thrive and that’s where all well meaning Nigerians would thrive. And so, whoever we are looking at, we must be looking at someone we believe will be there for Nigerians. We look at those key issues that would move Nigeria forward starting from the education of our children, starting from insecurity. Of course, as we presently have, starting from the issue of everybody being carried along properly. Being there first for the people rather than for themselves. I mean those are the kind of things we need and then not just Yoruba. Everybody, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani, Ibibio, Kanuri, Ikwere and others. If you give good education, everybody would thrive. That’s the reality.
Nigeria youth, going by the statistics of INEC, have about 71%. Do you think they are organized enough to make any meaningful impact on the 2023 presidential election?