Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari regime to heed growing calls for restructuring to avoid disintegration.

Leader of the group, Ayo Adebanjo, restates the stand of the socio-political group to Peoples Gazette on Thursday.

Mr Adebanjo was reacting to reports which stated concerns of former President Olusegun Obasanjo against secessionist plans. 

Mr Obasanjo had, while receiving the Tiv Professional Group in Abeokuta on Wednesday, warned that minority groups in Nigeria risks being oppressed and exterminated if the country disintegrates.

He described the calls by some regions for the country to disintegrate as unmindful and insensitive to the plight of the country’s minority groups.

He said, “If the Yoruba can stand as a country, if the Igbos and the Hausa/Fulani can stand as separate countries, where do we want the minority groups to be?”

“Now, by virtue of the present situation, the are a little bit protected, but if Nigeria breaks up, they will be oppressed and exterminated,” he added.

The Afenifere leader in similar vein said: “I don’t want disintegration. Anything that can save us from disintegration should be done, and our answer to that is restructuring. It’s not only the minority that will suffer, it’s the whole country that will suffer and it’s not worth it.”

“We don’t want to stay in Nigeria under this constitution. People are just emphasising, ‘don’t separate’ but we are doing what is going to make us separate. Instead let’s address why people want to separate. Minorities don’t want to go but they don’t want to stay under oppression.

To stop disintegration, restructure. If you don’t restructure, you can’t stop disintegration,” he noted.