Afenifere National Youth Council (ANYC) has endorsed the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi for president. The group called on Yoruba people to vote for Obi for equity and fairness.
Speaking at the endorsement meeting in Lagos today, the national president of ANYC, Eniola Ojajuni, said it was the turn of the southeast to produce the president, given that the north, southwest and south-south have had a shot.
According to him, Obi became ANYC’s choice because of his antecedent and clean records of uprightness and character when he was governor of Anambra State.
Ojajuni said, “Our target in Southwest is to give Peter Obi five million votes. We are doing this because we believe in a nation that works for every one of us. And that Peter Obi has what it takes to deliver Nigeria from this economic sabotage we have faced in the last eight years of APC administration.
“We stand in support of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, who two months ago endorsed the candidacy of Peter Obi. As the youth wing of Afenifere, we have to follow in the footsteps of our father by doing the same thing to make sure that come February 25, Peter Obi will emerge as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We are here to endorse the candidate of the LP, Obi officially as the sole candidate for the Southwest youth wing. It took us almost three months to reach the conclusions amongst 147 youth groups in Yoruba land, and today, we officially announce Obi and his running mate, Ahmed Datti as our sole candidate for the presidential election on Saturday.
“The reason why we endorsed Obi is that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo who is Yoruba has had his shot at the presidency, likewise former President Goodluck Jonathan who is from the South-south. Our current president Muhammadu Buhari is from the North. It’s the turn of the Southeast to produce the presidency, for equity and justice.
“Among the presidential candidates from the southeast, we found Obi worthy, because he is a man of integrity, and has shown character. We believe he has what it takes to deliver the country’s economy from the present comatose.
“In Yoruba land, we have about 200 groups that are dominated by the youths and among this figure we have 147 groups who have come together to endorse Obi. In the 2019 election, about 60 groups in Yoruba endorsed Buhari but unfortunately, it was a wrong decision, this time around, we have critically taken a strong consultation and we have seen that Obi is the right candidate.”
Ojajuni urged the Yoruba people to vote for Obi to ensure quality education, a stable economy and a quality life for Nigerians, adding that Obi had assured them that one of the first things he would do if elected President is restructuring.
“Before we endorsed him, Obi assured us that the first thing he would do is to restructure the country. We believe that the election will hold, it will be free and fair and the youths in the SW are ready to vote obi. Our target is to give him five million votes,” he said.
Representing Obi at the programme, Chairman of Light Up Nigeria for Peter Obi, Anita Nana Okuribidoh, described Obi’s endorsement by the Afenifere youth as history being made. She said the endorsement shows that there is no more dichotomy in the country.
“Obi foresees a unified country and if Afenifere, an organisation that we all see as Yoruba, particularly the youths council, it’s a bold step. History is being made and we are happy about this. We know that together on February 25, we shall deliver Nigeria to the LP. Obi is light and he will dispel the darkness in the country.”
