TheCable

Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group, has dismissed the presidency’s claim of a plot to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari.

Femi Adesina, presidential spokesperson, had said some political and religious leaders were working with external forces to overthrow the president.

The presidency’s statement had come in the wake of a warning by the Department of State Services (DSS) of plans to “throw the country into anarchy”.

Adesina had also said there is “unimpeachable evidence” of a plan to recruit leaders of some ethnic groups and politicians to pass a vote of no confidence in Buhari.

Reacting in an interview with PUNCH on Thursday, Adebanjo said his group and others in the south are only after the peaceful restructuring of Nigeria.

He said there is little confidence in the president, hence there is no point passing a vote of no confidence.

“Who is interested in passing a vote of no confidence in Buhari? Who has confidence in Buhari before let alone pass any vote of no confidence in him,” he said.  

“That is not the issue. The main thing is to restructure the country back to federalism and forget all these gossips by Adesina. We don’t have to pass a vote of no confidence for the world to know we don’t have any confidence in Buhari.

“I don’t know of any group who wants to take over the government but I know those of us who want the country to be restructured in a peaceful manner.

“Those of us in Afenifere and all other groups in the south who are agitating for restructuring are the friends of Nigeria, are the friends of Buhari. I hope it is not too late for Buhari to realise this.” 

Adebanjo also called on the president to return to the 1964 constitution agreed on by the founding fathers of Nigeria.