Unite in defence of Nigeria’s integrity, Afenifere urges governors

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Monday, charged governors across the country to recommit themselves towards defending the honour and integrity of the nation.

This is just as the foremost Yoruba group warned against the growing trend of demarketing and tarnishing Nigeria’s image among the league of nations

Afenifere in a statement issued and signed by the group’s National Organising Secretary, Chief Kole Omololu, expressed worry over some “calculated maneuvers” by certain political elements to undermine the unity of the Nigerian federation and also to smear the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration both at home and abroad.

According to him, some individuals have increasingly used foreign platforms to propagate narratives that cast Nigeria in a negative light under the guise of advocacy or reform.

He also noted a recent presentation at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 24, 2025, describing it as a “grievous affront” to national values.

He said, “These campaigns, often cloaked in the rhetoric of democratic dissent, are rapidly transgressing the fine line between legitimate political opposition and a pernicious assault on the nation’s global reputation.

“This growing proclivity for externalising domestic political grievances does little to advance our collective cause.

“Rather, it undermines national pride and compromises Nigeria’s standing within the international community.”

The group who condemned the elevation of personal ambition and partisan interest above the sanctity of national identity and unity, however, reaffirmed its commitment to the unity, progress, and sovereign dignity of Nigeria.

The statement read, “A recent example was the de-marketing of Nigeria and misrepresenting the country at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, on Thursday, April 24, 2025. It is, indeed, a grievous affront to the values that ought to underpin national aspiration.

“As a non-partisan yet nationally conscious organisation, Afenifere remains an unwavering custodian of the Nigerian Project.

“We affirm our steadfast belief in the unity, progress, and sovereign dignity of the Republic. Thus, it is wholly unacceptable when personal ambition and self-interest eclipse the sanctity of our shared identity and national image.

“In a period marked by multifaceted challenges and strains on national cohesion, the burden of leadership must necessarily encompass the preservation of our homeland’s integrity.

“To remain tacit in the face of concerted calumny is tantamount to complicity. On this note, for His Excellency Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who spoke up in defence of the President and the nation, we say well done.

“Accordingly, we urge Nigeria’s political stewards, particularly at the sub-national level, to repudiate this creeping culture of acquiescent silence”

The group called on members of the Progressive Governors Forum and the South-West Governors Forum to rise to the occasion by speaking with one voice in defense of Nigeria’s democratic institutions and international esteem.

“We specifically call upon members of the Progressive Governors Forum and the South-West Governors Forum to rise to the occasion and speak with a unified and resolute voice.

“A principled and vigorous defence of Nigeria’s democratic institutions and international esteem is both apposite and imperative.

“Let no holder of public office allow transient political calculations to eclipse the primacy of national interest.

“The stakes are too significant, and posterity will not be kind to those who falter when the dignity of our Republic stood in jeopardy.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE