Tinubu is a Tribal Evangelist – Bwala
Bola Tinubu’s support by the leaders of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere has been called into question by the presidential spokesman for the Atiku/Okowa campaign, Dr. Daniel Bwala.
Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the leader of the Afenifere, as well as other South West leaders, supported Tinubu of the 2023 presidential race on Sunday at a meeting with the group’s founders at Fasoranti’s home in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.
But in response to the endorsement, on Monday, Bwala claimed that Adebanjo and others’ absence was proof that the endorsement was flawed.
He also criticised the Afenifere leaders for only inviting Tinubu to an occasion where they could have hosted front-runner candidates and heard about their aspirations for the nation.
Bwala said: “In what seemed like the crawling of a rat at night to steal meat from the pot, Tinubu paid a strange visit to Pa Fatoramti; strange because it was not an organised setting of the usual meeting of the highly respected Afenifere; needless to say the leader of the group Pa Adebanjo and the secretary were absent when he went to in a Gestapo manner.
“First off, the Afenifere we know has, through their leader, made known their position as to who they support, and it was certainly not Tinubu. Secondly, if it were a meeting seeking to know the right person to support or endorse amongst the candidates, it ought to have at least invited the leading candidates to hear their take on what plans they have for the country that caters to the interests of Afenifere.”
The statement read, “So to Tinubu, the race to become the president of Nigeria is a trophy to be won and taken to his ethnic enclave. He was not only wrong in his tribal insinuation that not a single Yoruba opposed the ticket, but he also lied because lots of Yorubas took strong objections to the same faith ticket and his divisive and religious politics.
“To say that all Yorubas support his ticket is, to say the least, disingenuous, false, and condemnable.
“Tinubu has made no secret about his tribal championship and utter disregard for other ethnic people in southern Nigeria. This, to say the least, is sad and terribly troubling, and Nigerians should rise and condemn this rhetoric at the polls.”
Additionally, Bwala called Tinubu a “tribal evangelist”. He referred to the former governor of Lagos State’s comments that he “would carry the trophy home” as “obvious ethnic insinuations and divisive remarks” during the meeting.
Meanwhile, some group members, including Pa Ayo Adebanjo, and the Secretary-General Chief Sola Ebiseni, were absent at the meeting.
