Afenifere Condemns Calls For Military Takeover, Reaffirms Commitment To Democracy

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, has strongly condemned recent calls by certain groups for the military to take over power in Nigeria.

In a statement released on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the country’s democratic governance, emphasizing that democracy “should not be sacrificed or truncated for any reason.”

The statement comes in response to incidents during recent protests where some participants involved in destruction and looting of property, hoisted flags associated with Russia and demanded a change in government.

These actions have sparked widespread concern, with many viewing them as a dangerous and unconstitutional challenge to Nigeria’s democratic order.

The organization called on all Nigerians to reject any attempts to destabilize the country and urged the government to take decisive action against those advocating for unconstitutional changes in leadership.

Afenifere also appealed for calm and urged citizens to express their grievances through lawful and peaceful means.

Reacting to the call, Afenifere’s spokesperson said, “Whether the flags belonged to Russia or the army, the message is more or less the same – inciting the taking-over of government through an unconstitutional means.

“It would be a height of self-delusion to assume that the intervention of either the military or a foreign power will put an automatic stop to the hunger in the land.”

Ajayi stated that democracy “is still the best in our current situation because of its inherent characteristics of making the people the custodians of political mandate. Its elastic nature allows various tendencies to operate – as long as they do so within the ambit of the law.”