The Director of research and strategy, Afenifere, Dr Akin Fapohunda has said the failure of the political class in the Southwest to come together may be hindering concrete economic partnerships, project and development in the region. Dr Fapohunda made the claim during an interview on Focus Nigeria.<\/p>\n
When asked: What stops the Southwest states from coming together. We\u2019ve seen in the past states meet on regional basis but we are not seeing concrete economic partnerships, project and development coming from it?<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cIt cannot because of a point, Sanwo-Olu answers to Tinubu alone. Tinubu is separate from the Southwest. Osun State when Aregbesola and Oyetola was there answers to Tinubu alone. So that boundaries are there. If we have the political class like we have Alliance for Democracy and the UPN of those days, this is a Yoruba problem, this is a policy that will solve it, all the Yorubas agree and they vote massively. It was easier for UPN to organise the whole region to do one a thing at that time without exception. But when you have Tinubu respectively controling Lagos and Osun, Akeredolu is on is own, Ogun State under Amosun separate, Oyo we don\u2019t know where they are. And the same thing in the Southeast too. APGA has bee controlling Anambra for a while now, other state have different political parties controlling them. So this disconnect, this cleavages appear everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n