A leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Chief Ladi Adebutu on Monday advised the Yoruba not to be selfish but to support the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 general elections.
Adebutu, who was the factional governorship candidate of the party in the state until a Federal High Court in Abeokuta last week ordered for a fresh primary, spoke on Monday in the Ogun State capital during a campaign to garner support ahead of the 2023 polls.
According to him, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and interim Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan from the South West geopolitical zone have been Nigerian leaders at separate times, whilst nobody from the North-East has been the first citizen.
Obasanjo, like Shonekan, is from Abeokuta. While Obasanjo was military leader between 1976 and 1979 and returned as civilian President in 1999 until 2007, Shonekan, who died in January, was Head of Interim National Government from 26th August to 17th November 1993.
Adebutu, who interchanged between Yoruba and English, said: “What I want to talk about today is the coexistence of the Yoruba people with others in Nigeria.
“Earlier, I told some people to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the next president for the peace of Nigeria. But some people turned deaf ears; they insisted that it is the turn of the Yoruba people but the Yoruba people have been in power for a number of times.
“Our father Olusegun Obasanjo was in power. Our father (Ernest) Shonekan was also there. Let’s not be selfish. Is it only Yoruba that exists? The truth must be said”.
Adebutu also said that some persons have lost their integrity because of a pot of porridge.
“We cannot take Yorubaland out of the mainstream of Nigeria. Yorubaland must remain in the mainstream of Nigeria”, he noted, whilst reacting to secession calls by some groups.
Atiku’s main challengers in the 2023 presidential election include the All Progress Congress’ Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Yoruba; and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party. Obi hails from Anambra State from the South East, a region that has not produced an elected Nigerian leader.
Former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau; and former Niger State Governor, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu were among dignitaries at the event.
BAMGBELU ADENIYI AKINYEMI
4 October 2022 at 8:47 am
Please, tell this man to go and sort himself out in his state first.