The proposed National Conference is more
important for Nigeria than the 2015 general
elections, according to a pan-Yoruba socio-
political group, Afenifere. The group stated
this when a delegation of its leaders visited
the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The delegation commended President Goodluck
Jonathan for his decision to commence the
conference early next year, and urged him not
to be distracted by critics.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, a
member of the Afenifere delegation, Yinka
Odumakin , said the group was in support of the
conference.
"Things are not running smoothly ahead of 2015
and unless we sit down and discuss we are not
going nowhere," Mr. Odumakin said.
During the meeting, Mr. Odumakin told
President Jonathan that Afenifere commends his
"initiative on a National Dialogue to bring
together the peoples of Nigeria to discuss their
union."
"This is a bold move that will earn you a good
place in history if faithfully implemented. Any
leader who is able to get us out of this
structural quagmire will never be forgotten."
Mr. Odumakin claimed there were forces who
had been against a better Nigerian structure
since 1960, and that they were the ones against
the proposed conference.
"Mr. President, some forces that have benefited
from the imbalance and inequity of decades
would not fold their arms and watch Nigeria
restructured into an entity that works for all its
component units," he told Mr. Jonathan during
the meeting.
"This is why all manners of 'letters' were posted
to you with impeachment calls. Expect more of
that as the process moves on by those who
want the National Dialogue aborted," Mr.
Odumakin said in apparent reference to the
letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo
who had criticised the conference.
Mr. Odumakin, who is also the spokesperson for
the group, said,
"Afenifere considers the National Conference as
the soul of a new Nigeria and as such much
more important than anything in the polity,
2015 election inclusive.
"That is why we are strongly advising that the
conference be concluded early so that the 2015
elections can be conducted on the basis of the
new constitution.
"Finally we urge you to be more vigilant and rest
assured of Afenifere's support in the days
ahead for as long as you are committed to give
Nigeria a proper National Conference which you
re-emphasised when you received the report of
the Advisory Committee two days ago. We
believe the time has come for us to sit and find
lasting solutions from the stakeholders across
Nigeria to our challenges as against temporary
reliefs that bring greater and long-lasting
sorrows which some letter writers and their
group have given us since 1966."
The Yoruba group leaders commended the
president for personally visiting to commence
the repairs of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,
and urged the federal government to fix other
major South-West roads. They also appealed to
the president to review the status of privatised
companies in the South West including the
Machine Tools, and Steel Rolling Mills in Osogbo.
They appealed to Mr. Jonathan to ensure that
the NIPP plants that have been sold to private
companies become operational in the provision
of power supply to the zone.
The Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko,
who accompanied the delegation, urged
Nigerians to allow the courts decide on the fate
of governors and federal lawmakers who
recently defected from the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
Five ex-PDP governors and 37 lawmakers
recently decamped to the APC, making the APC
the party with the majority in the House of
Representatives. The opposition party also now
has 16 governors to the PDP's 18.
Though Mr. Mimiko is of the Labour Party, he is
an ally of President Goodluck Jonathan amidst
allegations, including by former President
Olusegun Obasanjo, that Mr. Jonathan
jettisoned the PDP candidate to support Mr.
Mimiko in last year's governorship election in
Ondo State.
Mr. Mimiko is also believed to be a major
financier of the Afenifere faction that visited Mr.
Jonathan and is opposed to the APC, which has
declared its opposition to the National
Conference.
While speaking to the visitors, Mr. Jonathan said
he would not interfere in the forthcoming
National Conference, but will abide by the
outcome no matter what it is.
He also said he had no personal interest in the
outcome of the confab and will not influence the
course or eventual decisions reached. He asked
eventual participants at the conference to
consider the national interest first.
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