SOUTHERN AND MIDDLE BELT LEADERS FORUM PREDICATES TOTAL SUPPORT FOR OBI ON ONE CONDITION
Lagos: The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF has predicted their total support for the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi on one condition.
According to Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere Leader, the leadership of the Southern and Middle Belt Forum (SMBLF) told Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to prioritise restructuring if he wants to get their support.
The elder statesman revealed this on Wednesday morning, while speaking as a guest on Sunrise Daily, Channels TV, flagship current affairs program. He explained that Obi had a meeting with the leadership of the group at his Lagos residence where issues of national interest were discussed.
Adebanjo, who described the former governor of Anambra State as a partner in progress, said the Labour Party presidential candidate is “fighting for the oppressed”.
“He (Obi) came to meet Southern and Middlebelt leaders in my house. It was an exchange of views; we believe in the same cause,” he said, adding that they won’t back any candidate that does not support restructuring.
“We are all partners in progress. The fight he is fighting is a fight for the oppressed.”
Giving further details about the meeting, Adebanjo said, “Restructuring was at the front burner; we should have a country first before we have any development plan. That is the pillar on which the Southern and Middlebelt leaders stand.
“Constitutional review, community policing, devolution of power and others are all embedded in restructuring. Where we have a constitution where everybody is dissatisfied, you won’t have peace and without peace, there will be no stability. These are fundamental.”
Continuing, he said, “There is nothing new about restructuring; we are only saying let us go back to where we started before the military came. Where did we start? The constitution was made in 1964, endorsed by Awolowo, Azikwe and Sardauna, and was what we had until the military came in 1966 and imposed this constitution.
