Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has advised South West leaders to adopt new methods to enable their quest for the restructuring of Nigeria into a balanced federation materialises.
He spoke in Ado Ekiti at a national retreat of the Afenifere Renewal Group which he hosted, noting that the current tactics being used in agitating for restructuring are defective.
The Yoruba race, he said, needs to be more tactical if it is indeed desirous of actualising its desired restructuring of the polity.
He urged the proponents of restructuring in the region to liaise with other zones on how to actualise the plan.
He said: “There are those who entertain fear on this issue of restructuring and whether this is legitimate or not, we must reach out to them because we are not an island onto ourselves.
“We don’t need to be shouting on the rooftops before we get it, but if we want to do it alone, the agitation will fall,’’ he said.
The governor also expressed dismay at the voter apathy in the South West region in the last election, saying a total of 16.2 million were initially registered in the region while the number of those who voted was not impressive.
He said, “In the last presidential poll, Ekiti registered 909,000 voters, only 381,000 voted.
“In Osun 1.67million registered, only 737,000 voted; Ondo, 1.8million registered, 586,00 voted; Oyo, 2.7million registered, 891,000 voted; 2.36million registered in Ogun, 605,000 voted and Lagos with 6.3million, only 1.56million voted.
“This might be caused by a deficit of trust or fraudulent multiple registrations, but whatever the case was, as long as we remain a constituent part of this country, ARG should reflect on this and act appropriately
“If it was as a result of deficit of voter education, then the ARG and governments need to do a lot.”
He said: “Religion also affected us because some people were brainwashed to vote based on religious consideration.’’
Fayemi also expressed the readiness of the APC governors in the region to work with the governor-elect of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, in the overall interest of the region.
Makinde emerged victorious on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, who were represented at the retreat, called for a return to the values of the old western region.
National Chairman of the group, Mr Wale Oshun, reiterated the need for restructuring and advised that it should be taken to the front burner to benefit the Yoruba race.
He also canvassed for true federalism, urging political leaders in the region to take a firm stand to protect the rights of the Yoruba race.
“Our leaders who know that restructuring is an issue that is germane must speak up the way the ACF used to speak on some national issues,’’ he said. N
