Immediate past Secretary General of pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, Seinde Arogbofa, has revealed that the position of the group is represented by the stance of Pa Reuben Fasoranti on the victory of President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Crisis continues the group as Pa Fasoranti has insisted that he remained the leader of the group and no invidividual would foist the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on the group.
Acting head of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, had in a communiqué, said Obi won the presidential election and not Tinubu as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The communiqué was issued few days after Pa Fasoranti congratulated Tinubu on his victory at the poll and assured him of the group’s total support. Arogbofa, in a statement said Fasoranti’s pronouncement on any issue remained final on behalf of Afenifere.
He maintained that Afenifere was made up of people with sound intellects and strong convictions but have occasional divergent views. “Chief Dr. R. F. Fasoranti is still alive and kicking. By the Afenifere tradition, he is still the leader of Afenifere. We defer to him in line with our cherished Yoruba culture. So whatever any other member says or does after he has spoken or acted is immaterial.
“On March 3rd, 2023, Chief R.F. Fasoranti sent a very warm congratulatory letter, on our behalf and his own, to Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his hard-won victory in the February 25, 2023, presidential election. That was done in line with the well-known Afenifere practice. This is where Afenifere stands. The oracle has spoken. Any person or group that may see things differently is free to do so as he is free to exercise his liberty.
“You will recall that on September 3, 2020, in an interview, I granted that some members were foisting Peter Obi as a presidential candidate on us and that Afenifere members are not robots. They are made up of intelligent people with strong convictions but occasional divergent views. I concluded by saying, if elections will hold in 2023, most Afenifere members and, by extension, the right-thinking, accommodating, and unbiased Yoruba ethnic group who are in the silent majority will vote for Tinubu,” Arogbofa said.