Adebanjo mum as Fasoranti’s Afenifere faction sacks him as acting leader

Elder statesman, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, has kept mum amid the crisis rocking the apex Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere.

The Pa Reuben Fasoranti group had on Wednesday, abolished the position of Acting Leader and Deputy Leader of the group, presently occupied by Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Oba Oladipo Olaitan.

However, when contacted for his reaction Pa Adebanjo said: “I have no comments.”

Both the Adebanjo and the Fasoranti camps have been at loggerheads since the build up to the 2023 presidential election.

Pa Adebanjo, as the acting leader of the group, had endorsed Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party ahead of the election. However, his position was countered by Pa Fasoranti who repudiated the endorsement and backed Bola Tinubu, then candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

In 2021 Pa Fasoranti who became leader of Afenifere in 2008, had stepped down and announced Pa Adebanjo as the acting leader, citing old age as the major reason for his decision.

Speaking during the group’s monthly meeting held in Akure, the Ondo state capital in 2021, Fasoranti had said: “As the group needs more than ever before to have an improved organisation with a more effective approach to combat the monstrous invasion of our culture and pride as a people, only a more alike and active leadership can achieve this. At 95, I am hardly able to provide such and so, it is time for me to step aside.

“At this juncture, I am proud to announce Chief Ayo Adebanjo, a politician of the Awolowo school of thought as acting leader of Afenifere and His Royal Highness, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, the Alaago of Kajola Ago in Atakumosa East Local Government Area of Osun State as the Deputy Leader.”

But rising from its monthly meeting held at the country home of Fasoranti, the group said that the decision to abolish the position was to halt the polarisation.

At the instance of Fasoranti, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SSG, Oba Olu Falae, was mandated to preside over the meeting.

In its communique, read to newsmen, by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, the group said that the motion on the need to abrogate the dual positions of Acting Leader and Deputy Leader was moved by a 92-year-old Professor of Surgery, Samuel Ibikunle from Ogun State and seconded by Dr Niyi Ikuomelo from Ondo State.

Professor Ibikunle, while moving the motion said that ” based on the report of the reconciliation committee, that it has reached a dead end and is unable to achieve reconciliation, I, Prof Samuel lbikunle of Ogun state Afenifere, hereby move that the offices of the acting leader and deputy leader should be dissolved into an Afenifere Elders Caucus to be constituted by the leader.

The communique reads: “A motion on the need to abrogate the dual positions of Acting Leader and Deputy Leader was moved by Dr. S. J. Ibikunle from Ogun State. It was seconded by Members from Ekiti, Kwara, Oyo and Ondo states.

“When the matter was thrown to the general house, the motion was unanimously carried.”