Buhari’s excuse against state police does not hold water ― Ayo Adebanjo

Acting Leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, on Thursday, said President Muhammadu Buhari has no justification to oppose the establishment of State Police, saying the excuse offered by him that the force if allowed to come into existence would be used by state governors against their political opponents does not hold water.

The elder statesman said this while speaking with Tribune Online, in his reaction to the president’s interview on Channels TV, pointing out that State Police was a factor of Federalism, and, therefore, could not be subjected to the like or dislike of anyone, more so that the call for it was by popular demand of people of Nigeria.

This was as the Afenifere leader said nothing qualified President Buhari to name his successor ahead of the 2023 General Election because, according to him, his performance in office had been woeful and nothing to cheer about.

Chief Adebanjo faulted Buhari’s excuse that the State Police would be deployed by state governors against their political foes, querying whether the Federal Government was also not using the Nigeria Police against the states.

“It is what I have been telling you people, he would not want to have State Police established. He is saying that the State Police would be used by the state governors against their political opponents, is the Federal Government not using the Nigeria Police against the states?

“It is arrant nonsense. State Police is factor of Federalism, it is not about his own individual choice or desire. There is no question about that. He has no right to say that we can’t have it, is that what the constitution says? That’s what the people want,” he said.

On the excuse offered by Buhari that his successor would be assassinated should he name him or show open support, the Afenifere leader said rather the president cannot recommend anyone to replace him because his performance in office had been woeful, adding that such person would have nothing to effect his campaign based Buhari’s non-performance in office.

“What has he done to qualify him to recommend anyone as a successor? He cannot recommend anybody as a successor because his performance in office has been woeful. What we are praying for is God to guide us.

“What has he done to campaign for the person he would be throwing support for? He cannot recommend anybody for succession, he has nothing for any successor to follow,” he reiterated.

Speaking further, Chief Adebanjo maintained that there was an urgent need to restructure the country by jettisoning the 1999 Constitution and return to the 1963 Constitution which the country’s founding fathers handed over to the citizens, warning again that Nigeria would break, while the citizens would die in slavery should they go into elections with the present constitution, which he described as military imposed document.

“The problem we are having is that the military came, changed the constitution they met on ground and brought their own constitution to be ruling we civilians, and when they left, they still left their constitution behind to be ruling us, it would not work,” Chief Adebanjo said.

“That’s why Nigeria will break until they set aside this constitution, and that’s why I continue to tell people for you to go into election under this constitution, you will die in slavery,” he warned.

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