Ayo Adebanjo, an Afenifere chieftain, has said the membership of Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a disservice to the Yoruba race.
Speaking in an interview in reaction to recent happenings in the ruling party, the elder statesman stated that both Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari are both deceiving themselves as leaders of the APC.
The APC dissolved its National Working Committee (NWC) at a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting convened by Victor Giadom, a former factional acting national chairman of the party, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday,
The NWC was dissolved following the recommendation of President Buhari as a result of the leadership crisis that engulfed the party.
A good number of persons in the dissolved committee, including Adams Oshiomhole, the immediate past APC national chairman, are believed to be allies of Tinubu, the ruling party’s National Leader.
This has fuelled speculations that there is a rift between President Buhari and Tinubu.
According to the Afenifere leader, President Buhari used the political clout of Tinubu and abandoned him after securing a second term in office.
He also claimed that the APC National Leader is deceiving the president as the former has failed to hold the latter to account on some of his electoral promises to Nigerians such as restructuring.
He reiterated his earlier advice that both the former Lagos State governor and the Vice President should leave the APC before its too late.
“I have worry for him (Tinubu),” Adebanjo told the Punch. “He knew all these things but he relied on Buhari and worked to make him the President.
“I said it before publicly that Buhari is deceiving Asiwaju and Asiwaju is deceiving Buhari. Everybody is trying to use the other. Why can’t Tinubu hammer on restructuring knowing that this was what brought Buhari to office?
“I have been in this game for 70 years. So, many of those who are talking now were not born then. That is the truth – even Buhari was a toddler. He is now 74. Each time I tell you, why should Tinubu, the Vice-President (Yemi Osinbajo) and all those who were in Alliance for Democracy run to the APC? Why are they hesitating now to stand for restructuring? They can’t talk.
“All the things I am telling you now – it is not the first time. I said both Jagaban (Tinubu) and Osinbajo should get out of the APC. I said it openly. It is a disgrace and disservice to the Yorubaland. So, what is happening now shows there is nothing to bind them together.”
