Support for Tinubu, Obi widens gulf in Afenifere 

Olusesan Laoye 

With  barely a month to the inauguration of the  President-elect Asiwaju Ahmed Boka Tinubu  on May 29, 2023,  Afenifere, the  Pan Yoruba cultural organisation, which has been the formidable voice in pursuing  Yoruba agenda, both politically and otherwise,  is still further divided over support for Tinubu’s presidency.

Since the build up to the February 25 presidential poll 2022, there  had been serious crisis  in the group over, who to back for the presidency. While the group  headed by Chief Ayo Adebanjo felt that  that there should be equality, equity  and justice, and supported  the presidential candidate  of the Labour  Party,  Peter Obi, an Igbo extraction, the group led by Pa Rubean  Fasoranti  endorsed  their own son, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, a  Yoruba  from the South West.

With the disagreements  between  the group, there had been no peace  in the organisation. Both  groups  have held on to their stands and are not ready to shift grounds, with the  fear  that the situation  in Yorubaland of the South West Nigeria may remain like this for a long time, especially with the election of Tinubu.

Some people  also speculated  that since both Pa Fasoranti and Adebanjo are nearing their 100 years  of age, the fear  is that both may remain  arch enemies  till death, which is equally not  good.

But it was  learnt that prominent leaders  and traditional rulers have waded into the matter, as they believed that a division in Afenifere, which has been in existence  for over 70 years could derail the common interests  of the Yoruba race  in the polity of Nigeria.

As the crisis  rages on, it has put the  Yoruba of the South West in disarray   It has also created division as well amongst  the  people, especially  with  many youths in the region queuing  behind Chief Adebanjo. These youths, on the same page  with the octogenarian,  believed that Obi won and would want their candidate to pursue  the case to a logical conclusion.

Their offense is that immediately after  Tinubu was declared winner, Ajayi wrote  to congratulate him, which is against the stand of the group, while Omololu wrote in support of Tinubu, saying that his government would usher in a new era of hope, peace security and harmony, gainful employment, social and political stability.

The statement also indicated  that  Tinubu’s  vision of togetherness  would make Nigeria greater and more prosperous and would make fairness rain supreme. The two men were subsequently suspended by Pa Adebanjo.

But Pa Fasoranti  rebuked Adebanjo for the suspension of the two officers, saying  that Adebanjo has no right whatsoever  to suspend them as he still remains the leader  of the group,  adding that he only stepped aside for Adebanjo.

Both, for the past months, have engaged in war of words, as Pa Adebanjo called Fasoranti a mere member of Afenifere  since he has relinquished  his position  as the leader  to him, and that only the actions  taken by him are  binding.

Pa Adebanjo, who would not relent on his support for Obi, maintained  that his decision and  that of others in his group  for Obi,  is based  on  the equitable  reason that the next president should come to the Southeast after President  Muhammadu  Buhari from the North.

“That is why we would not lend our support to those, who  betray  that cause for porridge  and those who are seeing equity from the parochial  angle  and their selfish benefits.”

Chief Adebanjo went further  that  though Afenifere is not a political  group, but from  inception, its political machineries  as the embodiments  of world view  of the  late stage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s school of thought on how Nigerian nationalities may  best be  equitable, conclusively  and peacefully  governed, which is the theory and practice of true federalism, in its logical dimension.

Chief Adebanjo maintained  that he  was not ready to depart from the collective decision of the Southern Leaders and Middle Belt Forum, which includes the Afenifere  that the presidency should come not only to the South  but to South East.

As the situation in the group is getting worst everyday,  with splinter  groups  shooting up in Afenifere  in support of the two factions,  some concerned people and leaders in Yoruba land have risen  to ensure  that the whole crisis is nipped  in the bud and stop it from escalating  among the youths, who have now taken different  positions on the matter.

One of the youth groups backing  Pa Fosoranti  recently  knocked  Pa Adebanjo, noting that Afenifere has been derailing since Adebanjo became acting leader because he allegedly abandoned the uncompromising pursuit and defence of the interest of the Yoruba people.

“We noted, sadly too, that rather than rally the Yoruba people behind their son, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, now the President-elect of Nigeria, to emerge as President of this great country, Baba Adebanjo campaigned vigorously against him, and even after his (Tinubu’s) well-deserving and hard-earned victory through a credible presidential election, he (Adebanjo) still wants the presidency out of Yoruba land.

“We noted for the purpose of clarity that Pa Ayo Adebanjo is not the leader of Afenifere, but the acting leader authorised by Pa Reuben Fasoranti. We make bold to say that the action of making Pa Adebanjo, the acting leader, is in line with the precedence in our rich history.

“We will not allow our future to be mortgaged by Pa Ayo Adebanjo. We condemned in totality the gross insubordination of the acting leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo. A vote of no confidence is hereby passed in the acting leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, forthwith and he should stop parading himself as leader/acting leader of Afenifere,” the group posited.

Another  Pan Yoruba socio economic group named South West socio- economic  Renaissance  (SRG) berated Tinubu for causing disaffection and the current crisis  in Afenifere.  The leader of the group Hon.  Olaitan  Abdul Salam slammed  Tinubu  calling him a  a divider- in -chief, a chronic  agent  of division and destabilization,  and warned all Yoruba,  especially,  the elders and the leaders to be wary of him.

The  group observed that Afenifere  has been a rallying  body for Yoruba race, while Tinubu has been the instrument being used to divide the body.

“As a matter  of fact Tinubu has contributed so much to the disunity in Afenifere. He was alleged  to have sliced the group and created two factions  after  the late leader Chief Abraham Adesanya stepped aside and Pa Fosoranti was picked  to succeed  him.”

It was  alleged  that Tinubu split the group and finance  another group headed by late Senator  Ayo Fasanmi and that move,  eventually  led to the demise of the Alliance  for Democracy  (AD ) mid-wived  by Afenifere.

That crisis  lingered  for long as late Abraham  Adesanya  then, while alive, backed the Fasoranti group. Despite that, the splinter groups in both AD and  Afenifere  continued   to operate  differently, till the crisis  naturally vanished. But Tinubu’s  presidential ambition  exhumed  the  long forgotten  crisis  in Afenifere.

Even the crisis led to another group in the organisation, which is still solidly  behind the former  Kano State governor and the Presidential candidate of the  New Nigeria Peoples Party  (NNPP), in the recently held election, Senator  Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The group, which calls itself
New Afenifere led by  Comrade Ajibade Adeyeye supported Kwankwaso,  said the elders should not in any way dictate  to them, because they are old enough to make decisions  for themselves and their future.  As such, they  are still solidly behind  their man Kwankwaso despite the fact that he lost the presidency  to Tinubu.

With the situation getting critical daily,  with the two  elders and their supporters  constantly engaging in war of wards, the Yoruba council of Elders (YCE) is now making efforts to broker peace.  One of the leaders in YCE, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, said the body of Yoruba  elders is aware of the danger,  which the feud  between  the two Afenifere  portends for the Yoruba race  and they  have started the move to end the crisis.

He said that they have talked  to one of  the  factions  and they are going to talk to  the other group,  saying  that  both elders are  nearing  100 years  and it would be a bad precedent  if the matter is not settled.

“We just believed that we should not  allow  politics to cause acrimony and disunity in Yoruba land. I think,  rather  than  letting  the whole thing lead to bad examples  amongst  our youths, we  elders should caution  ourselves and  create  an atmosphere of peace  and unity and we should not in any way  go with a divided Yoruba kingdom, as it would not be a good legacy that we want to leave behind.”

Also, it was gathered that another body of elders led by the former Secretary  to the Federal government  and  the former AD presidential candidate  in 1999, Chief  Olu Falae,  Senator Femi Okunrounmu,  who was the general Secretary  of  Afenifere and former Senator representing  Ogun Central  and convener  of the 2014 constitutional  conference  of former President Goodluck  Jonathan and the former Governor  of Kwara State  and former  Minister, Chief Cornelius  Adebayo,  would also wade into the matter.

Business Hallmark was informed that part of what all the  Yoruba  elders  would deliberate upon to settle the matter is how Tinubu would use his presidency  to  cement  the relationships  of all in the South West and should not see anybody as an antagonist.

Also, the former Commissioner  for Education in Oyo State,  Professor Adeniyi  Olowofela,  told Business Hallmark  that  both elders should shun their differences  and tow the path of how Nigeria  would  get out of the woods, as those of them  coming behind them, are looking toward  their good leaderships

He said, whatever  may be the case, it is rather  too late for  Tinubu to abandon his mandate. According to him, it is also not expedient  at this stage when Nigerians  are looking for away out  to use  the presidency to split the Yoruba people, as this could escalate into what could affect  the entire Nigeria because the South West still remains a  force to reckon  with in Nigeria.

Also the former Press Secretary to the late Governor of Oyo State,  Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan,  who was one of the  members  of the Tinubu Presidential campaign  committee  in Oyo state, appealed to both Chief Adebanjo and Pa Fasoranti to just come together not only for the interests of the Yoruba race, but for that of the entire Nigeria.

He said the two elders  should remember  that the youths are watching and the best they could do is to bequeath  a lasting legacy that would be emulated after they have  gone like Chief Obafemi  Awolowo, Chief Adekunle  Ajasin and Senator  Abraham Adesanya.

“I don’t think these our fathers  need anything  now than to unite us and count  themselves very lucky that they are both alive to witness  this present dispensation and political  transformations, both in Nigeria and across the  globe.”