Removal of Onnoghen was part of a script to rig 2019 elections – Adebanjo

Chief Ayo Adebanjo, an elder statesman is a leader of Afenifere, the Pan Yoruba social political organisation and Southern Middle-Belt Forum. In this interview in Lagos, Adebanjo expressed fears for the future of the country, which he said is bleak if urgent steps are not taken to restructure it. He also assessed the 2019 general elections, among other sundry issues in the polity. PATRICK OKOHUE reports.

How do you react to the emergence of Ayo Fasanmi led faction of Afenifere?

They are people with questionable characters; they are rebels. We have said it before and they could not refute it. What they are doing is because; we had this Southern and Middle-belt leaders gathering and they see that we are succeeding and they went and gather themselves together to support Buhari.

All the time we have been releasing press releases and talking about issues where have they been? They called a rally in Ibadan, what is the outcome?

Because we said we supported Atiku; but why did they lose Oyo State which is the seat of the Yoruba land. They also lost the governorship position; even the governor of the state lost his Senatorial election bid. These people are being sponsored by Tinubu.

They lost Oyo State, it is an indication of their rejection, we went to Oyo and told our people not to vote for them and you can see that they failed. They lost in Osun, Oyo State, all these areas they were commanding before, how far did they perform now?

But they have always been winning elections.

They only won elections when they were with us, Tinubu himself and others , won election under my chairmanship; they broke away after then and were now saying that because they won election we should be bowing down to them.

But when issues concerning the Yorubas came he could not talk because Buhari would not be happy with him and then you are going about making statements that you are Afenifere because you have money, we don’t dispute it with you, the Yourbas know their leaders.

That is what they have done in these elections. Because you have money and you have been buying votes in the past and you cannot do it this time.

They like to confuse people, sometimes they would say; Afenifere does not represent anybody, if that is the case why don’t you organise your own, don’t call it Afenifere.

They would say we are Afenifere renewal, you are in government you can’t set up your own and call it another name and lets see what the Yoruba’s would say.

*What is your perception of the general elections?

The elections was a farce, I don’t regard Buhari as president, Buhari is INEC declared president; when we get to court we would know who is the real president.

How can you call Buhari president with the way the presidential election was conducted, in a 21st century Nigeria? Look at the elections, it was completely militarised, corps members were openly kidnapped to rig the elections.

Nobody want to tell me such election would be recognise by the courts, we would not go for violence, let the court ignore the evidence that would be put before them.

Are you surprised that gubernatorial elections were declared inconclusive in some states?

That is part of the irregularity; it is in all the states they know PDP would win. Even in Lagos State they were snatching ballot papers, intimidating the voters from voting, they harass the Igbos who they know would vote for restructuring of the country, they scare the Igboswith the military, all these should tell what is happening, if you are popular why sending military to help you rig elections? All this is what we call an election?

What is your assessment of the performance of INEC and its chairman?

He has performed below expectation, this election is one of the worst elections in the country’s history. The misrepresentation of Atiku at the collation centres, the cancelled votes and other irregularities.

In so many states there were irregularities, if you look at it well, Atiku won by more than 3 million votes in the election which Buhari claim to have won.

We will go and place all our facts in the judiciary and we know they would deliver. I am not one of those people who would say don’t go to court, why would I say that?

Atiku would get justice there, if he does not get justice, he would get justice in the view of the people; the people know the truth. I am telling the judiciary to disgrace themselves, ignore the fact.

Were you surprised the way allegations against Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen was handled by President Buhari?

The removal of Onnoghen was part of a script that Buhari has got ready, he wanted to harass the Judiciary because he believed he would lose the presidential election and now appoints a CJN who would appoint judges to head the election tribunal.

But I still believe that the judges there not disgrace themselves and they say we are not accepting it we know the script, but I believe in court there would an Oputa, Kayode Eso, that would say no.

*You were part of the Southern and Middle-Belt Forum leaders who held a meeting with Atiku last week, what did the forum tell him?

We give him courage and told him that we are solidly behind him, go to court, inspite of what some people are saying. How can you ask the man who was cheated to go and congratulate the man who cheated him, that is bad.

That is condoning fraud. I am condemning those who said that. They should have encouraged him to go to the tribunal and seek justice, anybody including the members of the peace committee discouraging Atiku not to go to court is aiding fraud.

How is your assessment of the peace committee?

They have not demonstrated peace retention enough, they should have said; lets maintain peace and no violence, but Atiku go to court.

**You also met with the newly elected governor of Oyo State last week, what was the discussion about?

No, he came to visit me; we were in Oyo State before the election and told our people to vote for him. He also went to Ruben Fasonranti, realising how important our messages have been.

I told him to continue the fight because we know Buhari would not restructure the country and if Buhari does not do it; it means he does not want Nigeria to remain as one and that is what Clark was telling you.

The only thing to keep this country together is to have a federal structure; where every unit would be autonomous and develop at its own pace.

But to do that you have to restructure, that is what it means, restructuring is not a magic thing it is just for us to stay together as one country, let us agree on constitution that would bind us together by the time you restructure, the separatist group in the east would calm down, the avengers would stop their agitation.

These issues would be solved and the crisis and killings would stop. The killings in Southern Kaduna would stop because the people would be given their state and autonomy.

There is crisis there because the people ruling them are oppressing them and it has to stop. They turned a blind eye as if they don’t know what is happening; how can a government be doing that?

People are being killed and you are pretending as if you don’t know, the killing is still going on and nothing has been done.

There can be no remedy because those opposing you are the ones in control, I told Makinde until we agree on restructuring that any government under this constitution is a lame-duck government that lacks authority.

That is what is also happening in Benue State where they are killing them and they are turning blind eyes, as if they don’t know what is happening.

But President Buhari said restructuring is not the way forward for the country, you don’t accept?

Buhari does not understand what he is talking about; we have been talking about restructuring before he came in, before the first election was held.

But even the Vice president who is from your region does not seem convinced about the restructuring clamour?

The Vice President is a dishonest intellectual, Tinubu and Osibanjo came to office on the basis of restructuring; and it was on the basis of restructuring that Osibanjo took Obasanjo to court when, during his time as President Obasanjo did not release local government funds when he was the Attorney General in Lagos state.

They know about that, and as an intellectual is that not dishonesty? They are just turning blind eyes to it, I know him, he is my son, intellectually, academically he is a first class, but he is a disgrace.

Somebody who was born into restructuring is saying he does not know what restructuring is all about; his father and I were the key followers of Awolowo.

The VP was also recently involved in sharing of Tradermoni, how do you react to that?

My anti-government is not about that, it is a disgrace for Osibanjo to be doing that; why can’t the Minister of Trade and Investment be sent.

You turned the VP to a marketing officer and the man does not even recognise him. The Yorubas there are just senseless.

Which government control s Lagos? We have problem of tankers, Vice President came, no solution, but when Buhari came the tankers disappeared.

When the general elections came they disappeared again; how can anybody tell me we are equal partners in this government, what they did to the Igbos in Lagos, it is not because they are Igbos, it is because they joined forces with the Southern Leaders Forum to advocate for restructuring of the country.

I am not a PDP man, Afenifere is not PDP, but all the Southern leaders have agreed that any party that agreed to restructure the country is the party we are going to vote for; because that is the party that would solve the problems of Nigerians.

But PDP was in power for 16 years, the ruling party said they put us in this mess?

No, it is because of what they want to do that is why we are supporting them. To show that we have been consistent in Afenifere we have supported Buhari before.

In 2007 Afenifere supported Buhari’s presidential ambition, when he agreed to do a sovereign national conference, he has not denied it, he bought uniform we wore it in Adamasigba stadium in Ibadan.

We supported him then because of what he wanted to do for the country, we won’t let anybody come and say we hate anybody.

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This election is one of the worst elections in the country’s history. The misrepresentation of Atiku at the collation centres, the cancelled votes and other irregularities. In so many states there were irregularities, if you look at it well, Atiku won by more than 3 million votes in the election which Buhari claim to have won. We will go and place all our facts in the judiciary and we know they would deliver. I am not one of those people who would say don’t go to court, why would I say that? Atiku would get justice there