Leading Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, the Afenifere has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of sliding into fascism reminiscence of General Sani Abacha’s days of terrorising the pro-democracy opposition.
National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Justice Faloye, made the remarks on Wednesday morning, during an interview on a National Television programme in Lagos.
Faloye, when asked to assess the administration of Tinubu since the assumption of office in 2023, described it as a colossal failure which has been hounding perceived opponents.
He said: “We are concerned about how this administration is going. Not only is the NLC President being harassed, but we have hundreds of people in jail for treason for partaking in hunger protests.
“The economy has completely collapsed under this present administration, people who have been outspoken against the administration are being arrested and detained.
“We have criminalisation of protest under Tinubu where peaceful protesters are threatened, harassed, attacked, arrested and detained unjustly. What do you call all these other than fascism?
“Even the international community has accused Tinubu of criminalising peaceful protests in a democratic dispensation and condemned the trend.
“This is unacceptable. This is not democracy anymore. We are sliding into fascism.
“We have urged President Tinubu to listen to the advice of Professor Wole Soyinka recently about fascism.
“We need to ensure Nigeria does not slide into a fascist dictatorship which the Tinubu administration is doing. When you arrest underage people because of protest, when you criminalise or select a whole ethnicity and attack people who criticize you, that is fascism.
“A journalist called Soyinka was arrested and detained, President Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, arrested and detained, protesters arrested and detained. We are gradually moving into Gen Abacha days if we are not careful.
“We are hereby asking for immediate release of those locked up for treason. What Nigerians are facing in terms of inflation rate, corruption, and economic sabotage is better described as treason.
“The present administration is insensitive to the plights of Nigerians. Economic hardship is biting harder. No hope in sight.
“For the last 20 years, Afenifere has criticised the way Tinubu has been ruling because we are a social welfarist group. We believe in life abundantly, even in Lagos he didn’t do it.
“Lagos would have collapsed under Tinubu if not for the import market we have here, is not because of what he has done.”
On the speculation of faction within the Afenifere, Faloye, declared, “We don’t have any faction in Afenifere organisation. What we have are a few disgruntled elements who are often hoodwinked by pecuniary gains to support Tinubu administration because of stomach infrastructure.
“At every election, Tinubu takes those who want to eat.
“Despite this, Afenifere is still intact as one entity. Chief Ayo Adebanjo is still the subsisting head of Afenifere after the resignation of Pa Reuben Fasanroti who remains our leader. There is no contention about this.”
