By Sylvester Eweje
The forthcoming presidential election is set to be a straight fight between APC and PDP – no doubt!
With a *Buhari/Osinbajo* (APC) ticket in one party and an *Atiku/Obi* (PDP) ticket on the other, my question is to the Yoruba nation about our collective good or collective interest as a group.
This is not the time to be shy or try to be holier than thou. Under all sorts of pretences, every group is presently trying to look after themselves. Don’t just be deceived as we don’t have that United Nigeria yet. This is our present reality in Nigeria until it changes – hopefully in the future.
Both Atiku and Buhari are Fulani Muslims. Whether it is an Atiku or a Buhari Presidency, the north wins. Abi? The North is already settled!
If Atiku wins, another Hausa/ Fulani cabal will emerge and ‘cage’ him. Cabal is not exclusive to Buhari. Cabal is an English word! Whether Buhari or Atiku, the same ni! Oko eru Fulani la wa! Make no mistake about that! We are still under the same Hausa/Fulani oligarchy and hegemony!
So both Osinbajo and Obi are southern Christians and both probably Pentecostal or at least Christians. There is no contest of religion in this case at all. That makes things more simple and straightforward.
The competition is really going to be between South West and South East. I am guessing the South East will massively vote for their own – so PDP! No second-guessing that! You can’t blame them as they’ve always voted PDP anyway.
So please reflect carefully and answer me sincerely as a Yoruba.
1. Which ticket; APC or PDP serves the Yoruba nation better under the current situation?
2. What would be the compelling reason to support a ticket that not only disadvantages but also excludes your own group completely? I personally cannot remember a time in history when the South East collective vote has benefitted the South West. I stand to be corrected!!!
As popular as June 12, 1993 mandate given to our dear MKO, whose life was later sacrificed for this democracy was, South East didn’t vote for him then. He won in only 1 state of old Anambra. He lost the other 3 states then who voted massively for the relatively unknown Tofa.
Let’s face it, the next presidential election is a straight contest between Yoruba and Igbo. My Yoruba brothers and sisters, let us not, in the name of political sophistication, manoeuvre ourselves into a position of weakness in the political scheme of Nigeria. There is no Yoruba face on the Atiku/Obi ticket! Period! That doesn’t portend any good for us Yoruba! Simple!
Yoruba will be excluded, marginalised and sidelined into oblivion in an Atiku/Obi presidency (God forbid!).
I plead with Yoruba sons and daughters to massively vote for OSINBAJO, the best vice president we have ever had, a grandson in- law to our beloved and revered father, Obafemi Awolowo- the best president Nigeria never had. Remember Baba Awolowo and do what is right. Osinbajo is a son we should be proud of. He has represented us well so far and will continue to do so, by the grace of God! He is one of our best! He is sound, with impeccable integrity; erudite and articulate! He will continue to make up for Buhari’s lapses, shortcomings, old age, sickness, Baba-go-slow, etc, while also protecting Yoruba interests. We need to have our own man in the room please. Please let us vote wisely. Time to drop any emotional attachment to PDP is now.
God bless you.
*Note: Please share this write-up with your Yoruba contacts home and abroad. Engage in meaningful brainstorming with Yoruba interests in mind and convince yourselves fairly as you make a decision. NIGERIA IS NOT YET A COUNTRY, unfortunately! Maybe it will ever be, no one knows. In the meantime, we have to make do with whatever Nigeria is while protecting our interests carefully! Oodua a gbe wa o!*