Why I dumped Buhari for Jonathan — Yinka Odumakin explains

by Anike Jacobs

Political activist and former National Publicity Secretary of Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, who was the spokesperson for Major Gen. Buhari’s presidential campaign in 2011, has revealed why he dumped the Buhari train to be an ardent supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan.

In an interview with Punch, he said “There are so many shiftings. Gen Buhari himself has shifted. When I worked with him in 2011, he was the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change. In 2015, he is now with the APC. APC is not CPC. The characters around him in 2011 are not the same characters around him in 2011. In all honesty, Buhari is an honest man. I have made my feelings known to him that I cannot function in a new environment. I was with him in 2011 within a period of six months. I have been on the public scene for two to three decades in Nigeria. I have my goals and objectives. My being in politics is not for any pecuniary means. It is about issues that I think are fundamental to me, what I represent and the people I represent.

He further strongly denied leaving for financial gains “Those who canvass such viewpoint are people of low intellect who cannot understand me. What did Buhari give me in 2011 to support him? I see a lot of childish comments all over the place. Interestingly, many of the people that are saying these things read themselves into others. Those who clearly have taken a position based on pecuniary interests begin to point fingers at other people or what they would do if they take such a position. That is what I see in Nigeria. I see a lot of false moral grounds in this election. The truth of the matter is that I see a lot of funny people all over the place now congregating or taking positions and trying to demonise others as if we do not even know what is going on. For me really, between the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, there is no difference. The only difference is that we have Jonathan who convoked a national conference, which we had stood upon over the years. We have the report of the confab on the table.

Now, on another side, we have those who campaigned vigorously against that conference; who worked tirelessly against it; and who said nothing about it in their manifesto. And now, they are promising us change. Which change? Change from what to what? Who are the change agents? You take half of PDP and you sprinkle it. The only change that we need before we can move to any other policy change is to change the structure of Nigeria. The current structure of Nigeria cannot work except we change it. People of low intellect insinuate things. They do not react based on convictions. The best thing is for one to pursue one’s goals and history will vindicate who is right and who is wrong.”

Comments (9)

  1. Mr yinka, I used to respect ur personality bt now u are such liar and a thief. Am very sure u got something for this massive support u now give to Mr president despite all our economic meltdown, insecurity , wastage n curruption. Mr man go and sit down by God grace GMB will take the lead and u n ur other afenifere will cover ur face in shame. Bloody liar n a betrayer. If u truly love BUHARI why can’t u love personality and dislike d party. Most Buhari’s supporters are for Buhari nt his new party

  2. Indeed Amechi needs to visit the psychiatric hospital the way he spoke on channels TV yesterday was more or less an interview with a motorcycle/ park tout
    Any way I will vote PDP
    God Bless Nigeria
    God Bless GEJ

  3. If Buhari could not make it as military dictator and tyrant , is it now he would make it when he’s a washout? His born to rule mentality and ego must be deflated as he has nothing to offer our beloved country. He must be abysmally rejected at the polls. Let him know that what he forgot at Aso Rock have all been binned, including his childhood white babariga.
    Buhari would do anything to become president. He was looking so funny in his borrowed black suit he wore a few weeks ago that I wondered how power hungry he was. That black suit was borrowed from Amaechi, which is why Amaechi has been going about without the suit in recent times.
    Can somebody please rush Amaechi to a psychiatric home before he goes completely gaga. The way he looks unkept, and the manner he speaks to himself these days show he requires urgent psychiatric attention. He has started a battles he cannot win. God bless Nigeria.

  4. I guess he’s quite correct as Buhari is surrounded by vultures and hungry lions and people with questionable characters like Tinubu, Amaechi, chief Oyegun and others. Let it be stated quite clearly that these persons are political job seekers and contractors, who have been jobless and broke for a while now. All they shout about is progressives progressives, whereas a man like Tinubu does not know the difference between being a progressive and what the PDP represent. He was quoted as saying he stepped down for Buhari. Who does he think would have voted for him ? He has an overblown image about himself. If he was confident and qualified, I wonder why he needed to step down. Let him tell it to the wind.
    Given the two candidates, I strongly believe Jonathan is 100% better than the dictator and tyrant called Buhari, whose only ambition is islamise and impose his northern backwardness on the South. His hatred for Christians smells to high heavens. God will not let him win. His arrogance is fast eating him up. And his intellectual backwardness and mental mediocrity disquailify him to rule the most populous black nation on earth. Lets give Jonathan a second chance. These campaign trips have opened his eyes to the reality on the ground, which will compel him to be more more aggressive about tackling issues when they arise. God bless Nigeria.

    1. speak more mi brother u wil live long coz u stand on d truth

  5. These ppl think they are talking to small children, smh…

  6. From his confession that bhai is an honest man but can say the same for GET. Supporting him be cos of the national conference, so many reports are in the archives with no achievement. He wants us to believe it is not for personal gains that he joined pop, continue to deceive yourself.

  7. Who says Jonathan is going to adopt the conference outcome? All the campaign of adopting the report are political gimmicks. Anyway, let us wait and see.

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