The Pan Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, has observed that Nigeria was fast becoming a dictatorial and tyrannical state. The organisation stated this in a press release issued on behalf of its acting Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi and made available to Sunday Telegraph in Ibadan, Oyo state capital yesterday. Afenifere said that it was forced into this unsavoury conclusion in view of various actions and pronouncements of the Federal Government in recent times, noting that, “the dictatorial tendency of the President can be seen in his insistence to go ahead with re-opening grazing routes and establishment of ranches in the country when the preponderance of opinions across the country is to do away with open grazing.
“We vividly recall that on February 9, 2021, the 19 state governors in the North at their meeting, resolved that open grazing could no longer be sustained. They resolved to encourage herders in their areas to go into modern way of rearing cows, which is ranching. On May 11 of this same year, their counterparts in all the 17 states in the South met in Asaba, Delta State and placed a ban on open grazing.
This was backed up with legal instruments through the enactment of an enabling law as passed by the respective Houses of Assembly as enshrined In Section 4 and in Part 2 of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended. “Also, against the wishes of the majority of Nigerians, the President went ahead to sign the PIB into law despite the obvious injustice contained therein and to which the attention of the government was called beforehand. Same goes for the insistence on going for the non- transmission of elections results electronically when doing so was what majority of Nigerians wanted and asked for”. Afenifere therefore maintained that only a government with dictatorial tendencies ‘behave in that manner’.
Still on the issue of tyranny, the socio-political organisation submitted that this could be seen in how the Buhari administration ‘is hard on those agitating for a better life for their people while it is soft on bandits, kidnappers and herders, who are imperilling the lives of farmers. The group regretted that on several occasions, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has taken measures that were totally against the interests of the Nigerian populace. Contrary to the promises made during the electoral campaigns by the President and his party, the All Progressives Congress(APC), the prices of commodities and services have skyrocketed while social services delivery and infrastructure kept receding.
“The worst aspect of all these is the level of insecurity in the country today. At no time in the history of this Nigeria had life was so cheap and living was so precarious as they were presently. Unfortunately, those who should act are expressing their helplessness as exemplified by the call of Katsina State Governor, Hon. Bello Masari, on the people of the state to find the means of securing themselves against bandits who have literally taken control in many parts of the state. “For sure, Masari was not the first official to make such a call. But his was very significant not only because he belongs to the same political party with the president but also because he is the governor of the President’s home state.