Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has thrown its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid to complete a constitutionally allowed second term in office, urging detractors to steer clear of tribal rhetoric.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, the influential Yoruba group described the portrayal of the current administration as a “Yoruba government” as a dangerous and divisive tactic designed to delegitimise Tinubu’s leadership.
“Let it be said plainly and without ambiguity, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is not a Yoruba government. It is a Nigerian government,” the group stated.
Omololu emphasised that Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was elected by a diverse coalition of Nigerians across ethnic and religious lines.
He added that reducing his presidency to ethnic politics is not only false but also an act of “tribal opportunism and sedition.”
According to the group, the same considerations that allowed former President Muhammadu Buhari—an ethnic Fulani—to serve two terms without opposition based on tribal identity must also apply to President Tinubu.
“We remind the nation: When President Muhammadu Buhari held office for eight years, no one branded his leadership as a Fulani government.
No tribal coalition was formed to deny him a second term on the grounds of ethnicity. He was allowed to serve out his mandate in full — and rightly so,” Omololu said.
The group warned that attempts to weaponise ethnic identity for political sabotage could have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s fragile unity.
“To suggest otherwise is to play Russian roulette with our national destiny,” the statement continued.
“President Tinubu shall serve his full term of eight years, by the will of the good people of this country and under the watch of the Constitution.”
Afenifere’s endorsement comes at a time of growing political tension, as debates over Tinubu’s re-election prospects dominate the national conversation.
While critics argue that the administration has favoured the South-West region, its defenders insist that appointments and policy decisions reflect a pan-Nigerian outlook.
Observers believe the intervention by Afenifere is aimed at bolstering Tinubu’s legitimacy amid mounting criticisms and to reframe the narrative away from ethnic fault lines.
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