Southwest APC Confronts Jonathan For Visiting Yoruba Obas, Tells Him Outcome

President Goodluck Jonathan during a visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111

The Southwest chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday confronted President Goodluck Jonathan over his visit to Yoruba monarchs during the weekend ahead of the March 28 presidential election.

The confrontation was conveyed in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Publicity in the zone, Mr. Ayo Afolabi, a copy obtained by The Nation.

The party with stark analysis of Jonathan’s last minutes moves to court Yoruba monarchs ahead of the election said it will not secure him victory in the March 28 presidential election.

The Southwest chapter of the country’s main opposition party the APC went ahead to explain why President Jonathan will lose in the region.

APC noted that the Yorubas voted massively for Jonathan in 2011 because they were convince that he was a better candidate, but they were disappointed by his poor performance in governance.

“The latest move by President Goodluck Jonathan to court Southwest monarchs ahead of 2015 general election has no redemptive electoral value in Southwest because it is devoid of strategic assessment. The strategic question the President and his campaign managers should have tried to answer before engaging on the rash moves is: how many of such desperate and impromptu meetings were needed before Yoruba people voted for him in 2011? How much did President Jonathan spend to get Yoruba votes in 2011 and why should he think money will save him now? All other regions extracted several promises from President Jonathan in the race to 2011 elections except the Southwest, which voted based on their firm convictions and commitment to justice and good governance,” the party said.

APC which further stated that despite getting Yoruba votes effortlessly, asked what Jonathan did for the region in return? Adding that in the last five years, President Jonathan’s administration has shown unbearable contempt for the region and its people and their values, especially in the attempt to adulterate their leadership values.

“For instance, many top Yoruba people in the civil service have been the victim of Jonathan administration’s nepotism. Under no compulsion, no Yoruba person will be proud of those President Jonathan has imposed as leaders representing Yoruba people in different capacities whether as governor, minister, or party leaders. From all intent and purposes, governance has stopped in Ekiti State as the governor has been functioning more as a campaign manager with the resources of Ekiti people than as a governor. Ekiti people deserve better than they currently get,” APC said.

The region’s APC expressed optimism that the Southwest is confident that Yoruba monarchs and voters are conscious of the implications of a Greek Gift and as the bastion of democratic justice and good governance, noting that they will vote true to their cultural identity that loathes tyranny, corruption, and nepotism.

The opposition party stressed that the activities in the Presidency in the last few weeks have confirmed that Mr. President did not understand the need for governance until it was evident that Nigerians have already embraced the opportunity of change which is being offered by the APC.
“Nigerians deserve better than such a President and they will use their ballot to pass a vote of no confidence on the clueless and wasteful Jonathan administration on March 28,” APC said.

Meanwhile, despite the criticism accompanying the visit of the Presidential candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Jonathan, who held meetings with Yoruba traditional rulers on Friday and Saturday, he has expressed gratitude for the warm welcome.

Recall that the incumbent President who went to solicit the support of Yoruba traditional rulers was given a condition in one of such visit, when prominent Yoruba leaders asked him to put into writing his promise to give key positions in his government to Yoruba if elected.

The President who had a busy weekend reportedly visited monarchs in the Ogun-Central Senatorial District which are of Egba extraction, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi II and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Ajagungbade in Oyo State.

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