Afenifere Canvasses Fayemi For 2023 Presidency At Awo Memorial

National leader of Pan Yoruba group, Afenifere, Senator Ayo Fasanmi and an elder statesman and historian, Prof Banji Akintoye have urged Yoruba people to brace up for the presidency in 2023.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti at a colloquium marking the 110th posthumous birthday of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Afenifere leader said Yoruba people must unite to ensure that the geopolitical zone produce the next president. He immediately proclaimed Governor Kayode Fayemi as a suitable material for the position. Until now only Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been openly mentioned from the region as a possible contender.

The 94-year old Fasanmi who made a request that Yoruba people should support a candidate who shares the visions of Awolowo publicly endorsed Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi as a possible candidate for the 2023 presidency; citing his decision on the fact that “Fayemi embodies the visions that Awolowo strived to actualize for Nigerians”.

Delivering a paper titled ‘New Engagements by Progressives’, Prof. Akintoye said Ekiti people could become leaders in the African continent by “investing in the knowledge economy using our education advantage”.

While stating that the 2023 presidency is not just about pushing for a Yoruba man, the professor of History said it was high time Ekiti people rose up and take the lead because Nigeria needs the values of hard work, excellence and integrity which Ekiti people are known for.

Akintoye equally called on Governor Fayemi to rise to the task ahead; stressing that Ekiti people must not let themselves “be intimidated  by what exists” but push for “what is right”.

“Decent people of Ekiti should take the lead and help reposition the nation. I want to say that in 2023, we Ekiti want to aspire for what we have never aspired for. We want to produce the next president of Nigeria. We know that it takes the Ekiti character to rebuild Nigeria. Kayode (Fayemi) has the right ideas. He knows what to do in the management of our affairs.  We must have the tenacity to push for what we think is right. We should not let ourselves be intimidated by what exists”, he said.

In his remarks, Governor Fayemi  said it was high time Nigerians raised the standard of development above that which was laid by Awolowo; saying that the former Premier had been the yardstick for measuring the political success of political leaders in decades.

The governor said it was pathetic that the nation is endowed with human and natural resources but has not been able to take the lead in the past years; adding that it was time to do away with “arrested development”.

Fayemi  who also charged Ekiti leaders to rise up for the task ahead stated that Ekiti should not play the second fiddle in the affairs of progressives in Nigeria.

“We have competence; we have human resources and everything that can help us survive as a nation. That was what Chief Awolowo represents today, in Nigeria, we have not seen any statesman like Awolowo. That’s why any little thing we do, we make reference to him. He is the standard by which we judge development. It is time that we raised the standard now. We carry the burden of the successor generation and we must deliver to our people”.

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