Yoruba Agenda: Stop Deceiving People, Falana Tells Afenifere

Lagos lawyer, Femi Fa­lana has punctured the claim by Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere that it endorsed President Goodluck Jona­than for the forthcoming general elections because he promised to implement the Yoruba agenda as recom­mended by the national con­ference.

Speaking at the weekend in Lagos during a peaceful protest by Nigerians United for Democracy, a coalition of civil society groups to under­score the sanctity of March 28, presidential poll, Falana insisted that the Yoruba agen­da was defeated at the national conference.

He urged Afenifere leaders to stop deceiving the people since all points of the Yo­ruba agenda that could have favoured the South-West, in­cluding regional autonomy, restructuring, devolution of dower and parliamentary sys­tem could not sailed through at the conference.

“Three of us at this gather­ing were at the national con­ference, where did they see the Yoruba agenda they are talk­ing about? Mrs Bisi Olateru- Olagbegi, Dr. Abiola Afolabi- Akande and my humble self were at the conference. No single Yoruba or any regional agenda sailed through at the conference,” he said.

He noted that when the civil society under the aegis of Save Nigeria Group (SNG) mounted pressure on the Na­tional Assembly to confirm President Jonathan as acting president, there was no ethnic or tribal agenda involved.

“We did it in the best inter­est of our nation. We did not do anything for personal econ­omy when we confronted the military.

“Some of our comrades were killed; some clamped into detention, including my leader and uncle here present, Mr. Ayo Opadokun.

“What is going on is sim­ply about personal economy. When they complained to the president, they were not talk­ing about education, for our youths’ employment, for our unemployed graduates. It is all about personal economy,” he alleged.