Under President Bola Tinubu, a faction of Afenifere, a socio-political organization in Pan-Yoruba has raised alarms about the “destructured” of the “Federal Nigeria”. The group is loyal to the late Pa Ayo Adebanjo and also accused the government of eroding democratic freedoms and undermining the fundamental pillars of federalism.
Afenifere said, “This is shocked at the speed and boldness of the Tinubu government to destroy the basic structure on which the Nigerian federal state is based.” The group criticized the so-called “authoritarian attack on the basic pillars of the democratic federal system”, adding that the government did not work to reorganize, but to eliminate the essence of the federal government.
The group cited “blatant usurpation of federal units, judiciary and legislative bodies” and warned that abuse of civil rights, worsening insecurity and economic hardship could push the state to a breakthrough point. “We cannot doubt how much more money the Federation can take before the explosion, and the wheel stands out from our obvious destiny,” the statement said.
The group also criticized the description of the attack on freedom of speech and pointed to the recent ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s songs, Tell your dadThis is a direct response to Seyi Tinubu’s controversial comment. “The suppression of democratic freedoms that are instantiated by the forbidden ‘Tell Your Dad’… marks a disconnection between leadership trends and civic reality,” the statement said. “This autocratic ban… proves the progress made by increasing disregard for the voice of Nigeria, potentially silence artists and stifle creativity and the progress we need as a society.”
The group, in addressing the rise in insecurities across the country, pointed to the latest data from the Humangle conflict tracker, which reported that in the first quarter of 2025, 1,420 Nigerians were killed and more than 537 were kidnapped. It describes the security situation as a terrible security situation, especially as citizens continue to impose “policy imposed by the poverty weight imposed by poverty intensity”.
Afenifere reiterated its long-standing call for the establishment of a state police officer, saying the recent violence and bandits in Fulani Herdsmen underscore the urgency of reform. “Governments must resolve the root causes of these conflicts, open grazing and ban them altogether while promoting more sustainable and safer alternatives (branches)” the group said.
It urged the federal government to adopt more effective security strategies to protect lives and property, and insisted that a centralized police force was not enough to deal with various security challenges in Nigeria. “Apart from politics, all management principles and best practices tell us that a single police rank is not sufficient to provide the security required by our country of size and diversity,” the statement said.
Afenifere accused the Tinubu government of boycotting state policing for political reasons, even as killings and kidnappings were on the rise. The group warned that this reluctance could further harm national unity and cohesion.
