Dollar For Support: Yoruba Monarchs Are Not Cheap – Afenifere Chieftain

A chieftain of Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo has expressed his anger over allegations against some respected monarchs in the South West by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that they have been bribed with foreign currencies by President Goodluck Jonathan during his recent visit to the region.

Adebanjo described the allegation as cheap propaganda as he claimed that the accused monarchs cannot be easily bought over.

“I believe those that have that have been accused should refute the allegations because I do not want to allow anyone to use me.
However, I think the story is cheap propaganda because this is not the first time such stories will be flying around. I want to believe the Yoruba traditional rulers are not that cheap. But if the traditional rulers are that saleable, that is their own problems and not mine.

“All I can say is that the man who brought me into politics can vouch for me that I won’t get involved in such things,” he said.

Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, Senator Femi Okurounmu, on his part, accused the APC of being behind the publication of the denigrating information.

“Bola Tinubu has stretched its tentacles but they are seriously worried that President Jonathan is making reaching out to Yoruba leaders in the South-West. Tinubu had concluded he has the control of the South-West, he has seen the South-West as his birthright.
I believe strongly that nothing is wrong with President Jonathan reaching out to Afenifere, the traditional rulers and other sections of the Yoruba.

“He has the right to campaign or ask for votes in the South-West just like other candidates are also canvassing for votes in other zones of the country. If Tinubu feels he has an evidence of traditional rulers collecting money from the President, he should provide the evidence and show Nigerians,” he said.