The apex pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, on Saturday said the South-West geopolitical zone has more space for political parties ahead of 2015 general elections.
The organization’s position was made known by its spokesperson, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, while reacting to last week’s registration of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) as a political party.
Odumakin, who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH, said the group was willing to welcome as many political parties as possible to vie for elective positions in the South-West.
When asked if the registration of UPN would lead to the end of the All Progressives Congress, APC, dominance of South-West politics, Odumakin said “I do not see any monopoly in the politics of the South-West at the moment.
“There are a lot of political parties vying for positions in the South-West. We say, let a thousand flowers blossom. Those promoting UPN have the right to promote the political party. South-West has not been willed to any group of people, as the only ones who know how to play politics. Let a thousand flowers blossom; that is where we stand”.
The Afenifere spokesperson, who is a delegate at the ongoing National Conference in Abuja, added that in spite of the history of UPN, which was originally formed by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the Second Republic, the promoters of the party would have to work hard to it make acceptable again to the people of the South-West region.
“We’ll wait and see what the people who are promoting the UPN are able to put together. The name on its own will not evoke that passion except the promoters have the capacity to galvanise around the name”, he said.
