The Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has restated its support for the ambition of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party as the 2023 elections loom.
Sola Ebiseni, the Afenifere’s Secretary-General made this reiteration recently during an interview on AriseTV, against the rumoured factionalization of the group.
According to Ebiseni, the reason for the endorsement of Obi was to establish fairness and justice, considering the fact that some regions were yet to become Nigeria’s President.
He said: “The reason Afenifere chose Peter Obi is to prevent the incursion of the North since Nigeria is a federation.
“If the PDP wins, an impression would have been created that not other opinion cares insofar the North wins.
“If APC wins, you will have a trajectory of rotation between Yoruba and Fulanis.
“Peter Obi’s candidacy is part of the revolution in order to ensure a sense of belonging and justice amongst the stakeholders. This presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, has been endorsed by the Afenifere because it encapsulates justice and fairness.”
He further revealed what happened over the rumoured in-fighting within Afenifere after the recent visit of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, to Pa Reuben Fasoranti, a former Afenifere leader, in Akure, Ondo State.
He made it known that the meeting was not arranged by either Pa Fasoranti or Afenifere but was arranged by a group known as Conscience of Yoruba Nation (COYN).
While talking further, he said the invitation letter for the meeting printed on the letterhead of COYN and titled ‘Meeting with Yoruba leadership,’ was signed by the Director General of COYN, Abagun Kole Omololu and Dare Babarinsa.
It should be recalled that the letter noted that Pa Fasoranti agreed to host and preside over the meeting and its focus was “to discuss the historic 2023 general elections and guide the Yoruba people of Nigeria to take a definite and wise decision in the overall interest of posterity and also, an interaction with one of the leading candidates, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Also, the DG of COYN, Abagun Omololu, who was a former chairman of Afenifere United Kingdom, is the present National Organising Secretary of the Pan-Yoruba group.
However, the communique issued after the meeting by Omololu was titled ‘Statement of Afenifere on the visit of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to Pa Reuben Fasoranti in his Akure Home.’ COYN was not mentioned in it.
While clarifying the situation, Ebiseni said: “During a series of meetings, we do not agree on different issues since there are diverse interests. 26 Sept 2022 was when the final decision regarding the support for Peter Obi was issued during a meeting convened by Pa Ayo Adebanjo.
“Afenifere doesn’t say it is speaking for all the groups and associations in Yorubaland. The meeting held in Akure was not an Afenifere meeting. When any meeting holds in Pa Fasoranti’s house, he calls some of the Afenifere’s members and other Yoruba leaders based in Ondo State.
“Some people broke out from the group after the death of former leader, Pa Ayo Adesanya and formed the Afenifere Renewal Group while undermining Pa Fasoranti’s leadership when he took over the helm of affairs. He was harangued by these people which led to his tendering his resignation in 2015 which was not accepted by his lieutenants before he eventually stepped down for Pa Adebanjo.”
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