…blasts foreign smear campaigns, hails Sanwo-Olu for defending President

• Yoruba group urges Govs to place national interest above selves

By Bukola Olamona

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Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed strong disapproval over what it described as calculated attempts by certain political figures to undermine the unity of Nigeria and discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, especially on international platforms.

In a statement signed by its National Organising Secretary, Otunba Kole Omololu, and made available to journalists on Sunday, Afenifere condemned what it termed “orchestrated campaigns” disguised as democratic dissent, warning that such moves have now crossed the line into assaults on the nation’s global image.

The organisation particularly took exception to a recent outing at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on April 24, 2025, which it described as a grievous misrepresentation of Nigeria and an act of de-marketing the country abroad under the pretence of advocacy and reform.

“It is deeply lamentable that some have chosen international platforms to propagate narratives that cast Nigeria in an unflattering light. This growing proclivity for externalising domestic political grievances does little to advance our collective cause. Rather, it undermines national pride and compromises Nigeria’s standing within the international community. To besmirch one’s own country on foreign soil is neither sagacious nor patriotic,” Afenifere said.

While reiterating its non-partisan but nationalistic stance, the group reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the unity, progress, and sovereign dignity of Nigeria, stressing that personal ambition and self-interest must never be allowed to supersede national identity and integrity.

“In a period marked by multifaceted challenges and strains on national cohesion, the burden of leadership must necessarily encompass the preservation of our homeland’s integrity. To remain tacit in the face of concerted calumny is tantamount to complicity,” the statement added.

Afenifere commended Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for rising in defence of President Tinubu and the country, describing his intervention as timely and responsible.

“We say well done to His Excellency Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who spoke up in defence of the President and the nation,” it noted.

The group did not stop there. It called on all state governors, particularly members of the Progressive Governors Forum and South-West Governors Forum, to rise to the occasion and speak with a collective and unyielding voice in defence of the country’s democratic institutions and international image.

“Accordingly, we urge Nigeria’s political stewards, particularly at the sub-national level, to repudiate this creeping culture of acquiescent silence. A principled and vigorous defence of Nigeria’s democratic institutions and international esteem is both apposite and imperative,” it stressed.

Afenifere concluded with a warning that public office holders must not allow short-term political interests to overshadow the overarching necessity of safeguarding Nigeria’s dignity, adding that history would judge those who chose silence in the face of what it termed a national affront.

“The stakes are too significant, and posterity will not be kind to those who falter when the dignity of our Republic stood in jeopardy,” the group said.