The leaders of the South West APC, this evening revealed the outcome of the meeting held this afternoon, one of which was their rejection of the calls for the Yoruba Nation.
In a unanimous decision, they rejected the agitations and endorsed the unity of Nigeria.
The meeting was attended by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; South West APC governors; Chief Bisi Akande among others.
Decisions reached were contained in a communique issued at the end of the session. One of the decisions was that Nigeria needed to remain together to grow.
They however, condemned the insecurity plaguing the country and urged government to do all it takes to tackle the challenges.
Highlights of the decisions:
- Support for Southern Governors ban on open grazing of cattle
- Rejection of separatist agitations
- Renewed call for federalism and restructuring.
An excerpt of the Communique as published by the Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Governor reads:
“For Nigeria to overcome the present challenges, we must do so with unity of purpose and action. The desire for peace and the chance for a prosperous and just society is universal and transcends all regional, religious or ethnic divisions.
“Sadly, many public figures have made statements that spark division and undermine the needed unity of purpose. We urge government at all levels, security agencies, and public leaders across the country to do everything possible to prevent tension so that we sustain the necessary unity to defeat these challenges to our national security.
“All responsible Nigerians must speak and act in a manner that strengthens our common cause against these common threats to our collective peace, justice and development.
“We restate our abhorrence of violence as a means to achieve either political or economic power and influence. We strongly condemn violence of any form in any part of the country, regardless of ethnic or regional identity of the perpetrators of the violence or of the victims.
“Government must do all it can to protect potential victims and to assist those who have previously been victimized by terrorism or widespread banditry.
““We hold to the view that true federalism where more power and resources are allocated to the states will be an essential part in strengthening society and improving democratic governance so that we beat the present challenges but also engender durable peace and security.
“True federalism and the reallocation of resources and authority that comes with it will empower the states to solve localised issues before they spread and transform into national ones.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu@jidesanwoolu also summarised the outcome of the meeting.
According to him, “Today, I hosted a meeting of APC leaders in the South-West and the state of the nation and current security challenges were discussed. The SW leaders endorsed the position of Southern Governors on the ban of open grazing that was taken during a summit held on May 11, 2021.
On the calls for a Yoruba Nation, Governor Sanwo-Olu said that,
“In the same vein, the APC SW leaders condemned separatist agitations and hate speeches and restated a belief in the unity, stability and sustainability of Nigeria. It was also an opportunity to renew the call for restructuring and true federalism.
“True federalism will be essential in strengthening and improving democratic governance so that we can overcome present challenges and engender durable peace and security. It will empower the states to solve localised issues before they spread and transform into national ones.
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