A Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere has accused President Bola Tinubu of sliding into fascism reminiscence of Gen. Sanni Abacha’s days.
This is as the group disclosed plans to create a political group to wrest power from the ruling government in the 2027 general election.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Justice Faloye, made the remarks on Wednesday morning, during an interview on a National Television programme in Lagos.
Faloye, when asked to assess the administration of Tinubu since the assumption of office in 2023, described it as a colossal failure which has been hounding perceived opponents.
According to him, “We are concerned about how this administration is going. Not only is the NLC President being harassed, but we have hundreds of people in jail for treason for partaking in hunger protests.
“The economy has completely collapsed under this present administration, people who have been outspoken against the administration are being arrested and detained.
“We have criminalization of protest under Tinubu where peaceful protesters are threatened, harassed, attacked, arrested and detained unjustly. What do you call all these other than fascism?
“Even the international community has accused Tinubu of criminalizing peaceful protests in a democratic dispensation and condemned the trend.
This is unacceptable. This is not democracy anymore. We are sliding into fascism.
“We have urged President Tinubu to listen to the advice of Professor Wole Soyinka recently about fascism.
“We need to ensure Nigeria does not slide into a fascist dictatorship which the Tinubu administration is doing.
“When you arrest underage people because of protest, when you criminalize or select a whole ethnicity and attack people who criticize you, that is fascism.
“A Journalist called Soyinka was arrested and detained, President Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, arrested and detained, protesters arrested and detained. We are gradually moving into Gen Abacha days if we are not careful.
“We are hereby asking for immediate release of those locked up for treason. What Nigerians are facing in terms of inflation rate, corruption, and economic sabotage is better described as treason.
“The present administration is insensitive to the plights of Nigerians. Economic hardship is biting harder. No hope in sight.
“For the last 20 years, Afenifere has criticized the way Tinubu has been ruling because we are a social welfarist group. We believe in life abundantly, even in Lagos he didn’t do it.
“Lagos would have collapsed under Tinubu if not for the import market we have here, is not because of what he has done.”
Speaking on the possibility of Afenifere delving into partisan politics, away from being a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Faloye said, “Afenifere is in the process of creating a political party that will practice the real democratic principles, ideology and philosophy of late Pa Chief Obafemi Awolowo and clamour for constitutional reform, restructuring of the country, among others.
Afenifere spokesman who expressed dismay at the leadership style of the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration at the centre, added that the organization is presently studying a party which is in alignment with its ideology to form a coalition or float a new party to contest in the next general election in the country.
“So, any party that pushes our cardinal points. We had UPM that formed AD. Is not about a Yoruba party is about the ideology of lifting people and making life abundant.
On the speculation of faction within the Afenifere, Faloye, declared, “We don’t have any faction in Afenifere organization. what we have are a few disgruntled elements who are often hoodwinked by pecuniary gains to support Tinubu administration because of stomach infrastructure.
“At every election, Tinubu takes those who want to eat.
“Despite this, Afenifere is still intact as one entity. Chief Ayo Adebanjo is still the subsisting head of Afenifere after the resignation of Pa Reuben Fasanroti who remains our leader. There is no contention about this.”
Recall that the Afenifere group was divided over the South-West region’s support for incumbent President Bola Tinubu in the build-up to the 2023 general poll and the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid
