The crisis rocking the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, took a more worrisome dimension on Wednesday as one of the national leaders, Pa Reuben Fasoranti has moved against another leader of the group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
Fasoranti stated categorically that he neither resigned nor retired as the leader of Afenifere while dismissing the leadership of Pa Adebanjo. He thus declared that he remains the head of the group.
The New Diplomat reports that the crisis erupted in Afenifere after the two stalwarts of the group pitched their tents with different presidential candidates in the 2023 General Election.
While Fasoranti had endorsed the presidential candidate of the All-Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, to the leaders of the group in Akure, Ondo State, Adebanjo pitched his tent with the candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Since the divergent opinions, the question of who holds the leadership position of the Afenifere has been raised.
It would be recalled also that Fasoranti had handed over to Adebanjo as acting leader in March 2021.
However, to assert his authority over the group, Fasoranti, in an interview with Impact TV Africa, said he remains the leader of Afenifere and that Adebanjo would no longer host meetings of the group, which he said would now be held in Akure.
He disclosed that the meeting of the socio-political organisation will henceforth hold in Akure, the capital of Ondo State and no longer in Isoya Ogbo, Ijebu home Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
Many believe that with the shifting of the meeting venue to the residence of the leader, Adebanjo may have ceased to be the acting leader.
Fasoranti said some people felt he could not comprehend things, adding that the person who said that has regretted it.
He stressed: “The reason the meeting was shifted was due to misunderstanding and misinterpretation of some people that I was going senile and that I cannot comprehend. When I heard that, I reacted and the person saying that regretted it. “
In a viral video at his Akure residence, the old ‘Action Grouper’ said he will now communicate meeting schedules to Afenifere members after liasioning with the secretary and other leaders on the meeting agenda.
He maintained that most Afenifere chieftains have said they will not go to Ogbo for meetings.
The elder statesman added that the report that he stepped down as Afenifere leader was a misrepresentation.
“It was a misunderstanding and misinterpretation from some people who thought I was going senile and couldn’t comprehend. When I heard that, I reacted and the person who said that regretted saying so,” Fasoranti said.
On the endorsement of Obi, Fasoranti said Obi has not been endorsed by the group.
“We have not deviated from the same principle. We still stand for the good of the people. I didn’t retire from the leadership of Afenifere. I was misinterpreted. I am still the leader of Afenifere.
“Afenifere is not endorsing Obi. We are endorsing Jagaban (Tinubu). As you can see the trend, the followership, the approval and the acceptability.
“Adebanjo cannot warn me not to welcome Tinubu. Adebanjo took a stand and I took a stand. We did not speak about Tinubu’s visit. It goes without saying that Jagaban is accepted and we approve of it. Obi has no standing in our mind at all,” he added.
