The leader of Yoruba’s socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has said the now 78 years old president Muhammadu Buhari, was a school kid when Nigeria secured its independence from British rule, 61 years ago.
Adebanjo made the statement on Friday, in response to Buhari's independence day speech where he insisted that the unity and existence of the country is not negotiable.
According to the Afenifere leader as reported by PUNCH, Buhari was still a child when the modalities on how the country will exist as a united entity, were negotiated back in the 1950s, hence why he reasons like a child when he said the unity of the country cannot be negotiated.
Adebanjo who is currently 93 years old, explained that in 1953 when the North opposed the call for Independence and rather advocated ‘Araba’ (secession), Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe convinced the northern leadership headed by Ahmadu Bello, to negotiate the terms of their unity and ultimately their independence from British rule.
Adebanjo said, “He (Buhari) is talking nonsense. These are the kinds of things that cause trouble. How can the President of a multinational, multilingual and multi-ethnic society say the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable? We negotiated the unity of Nigeria in 1954 before independence.
“The 1960 Constitution was a product of negotiation that arose from the London constitutional conference.
“Of course, I can’t blame him (Buhari). He was still in primary school at that time, so, he couldn’t understand. He should go back to the records.
“Before the constitutional conference, the country was being run as a unitary government and that was what caused the crisis.
“When we got to that conference, Chief Awolowo re-educated them that you cannot run the country as a unitary system. It was at that conference that Nnamdi Azikiwe was converted to federalism and when he returned from that conference, Azikiwe, at the airport, declared that federalism was imperative. It was in the Daily Times of 1954.”
Adebanjo added that the 1960 Constitution gave all the regions financial autonomy, such that every region was able to control its own destiny and after the military coup of 1966 and Nigeria became a unitary state, things began to go downhill.
He, therefore, argued for restructuring which he claims must be embraced for the country to progress.
He further noted that the 1999 Constitution which he said was not based on fairness but exploitation of the South should be adequately looked into.