Chief Gani Adams, the National Coordinator of the O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC), has stated that his support for former president, Goodluck Jonathan, in the last general elections, was his own way of exercising his franchise as a Nigerian.
Adams who spoke with some journalists in his home in Lagos, claimed that despite his support for the former president during the polls, the OPC did not take sides with any party.
He said: “We don’t believe that anything we did during the election was wrong. It’s matter of ideological decision. Assuming we go to full partisanship, it could be worse than that. You did not see me during the election putting on PDP clothes, you did not see me in the election at the rally of PDP.
“But I, Otunba Gani Adams, as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, am I not more than 18 years? I’m 45. And we have many who are above 45, according to the Constitution they have the right to exercise their franchise to the candidate of their choice. And that does not mean that you belong to any political party.
“Why should I regret at the age of 45 to vote for someone? In any democracy, it’s either you win or you lose. Jonathan has moved on from the election. He’s the one being assigned by AU to monitor the election in Tanzania which was free and fair. Let them be shouting about Jonathan and shouting about Gani Adams. They have to face their own music and their problem now. If you are not in power people will not see you, you are in power what will you give to the people now.
“Now the table has changed. Some of them that abused us online cannot come out again. They don’t know what to say.
“You now see that they were not trying to drive Jonathan based on ideology, they want the power in the centre because of economical reasons. And most of them, Buhari has told them that you are not getting the kind of system you got from Jonathan. I’m not the kind of person that will give you dollars when you come to my office, it’s handshake and photograph.”
Speaking on the recent kidnap of elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae which was allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen, Chief Adams said: ”It’s something we can call uncalled for, for you to kidnap Chief Olu Falae. After kidnapping… after they took ransom from Falae family, maybe from Ondo state government, they released him,” said Mr. Adams.
“Four or three days after, they raided his farm again, they destroyed a lot of things that worth more than 7 – 10 million naira. Any sensible and reliable race will not fold his arm and keep quiet on incident like that.
”I have never heard of a Yoruba kidnapping a commoner, not to talk of personality in the north. They respect the norms and customs of their host community. It’s an insult to kidnap Olu Falae.”
He also berated the immediate past governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso for his recent statement while at a function in Ibadan, condemning the call by some Yoruba leaders who demanded the sack of Fulani herdsmen in the southwest region.
Chief Adams said: “He does not have the right to condemn our position. We have heard enough from the Arewa Consultative Forum and I have never seen Kwankwaso condemning the act of Boko Haram in the history of this country. God has a way of doing things. This is Kwankwaso who was aspiring to be the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria. For him to support those who kidnap in the southwest, definitely he could have not been a good leader if he becomes a president.
“I think when you issue a statement you must not think about today, think about future. And we are in the world of technology, there is nothing you said that is missing. They will just Google it out.
“So I will advise Kwankwaso that Yoruba is too sensitive for him to just rise up and condemn a statement of about 24 organizations, talking about the personality of Pa Olanihun Ajayi, Ayo Adebanjo, General Adeyinka Adebayo, and many elders on the seat.
“That was the first meeting. So definitely you can’t just do that. He came directly to make that statement in Ibadan. Can anybody go to north, to Kano to make a statement against Arewa Consultative Forum in Kano or Kaduna and that person will not be lynched?”
On ways to end attacks of Fulani herdsmen around the country, Chief Adams called on President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference., Premium Times report.
He said: ”To solve the problem is for the federal government to look into the 633 recommendations of the National Conference. I think the recommendations of the National Conference (go) beyond a very good security arrangement. Because when you are talking about state police, it’s one of the factors out of seven factors that will solve insecurity in this country.
”There’s no way Buhari can move this country forward without approving the recommendation. We will be deceiving ourselves. How many thieves can Buhari (arrest)? How many people can he jail? By November 29 he will clock six months in power, and that’s one out of eight slots.
”And most of the people in that Senate, they want to make money, some of them who are not governor, to become a governor. How many of them will you fight?”
Meanwhile, Chief Adams has congratulated the new Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi for ascending the throne of the cradle of Yoruba land peacefully and legally.
No comments:
Post a Comment