Governor Sanwo-Olu, spoke on Tuesday when he paid a condolence visit to the Lekki residence of the late foremost nationalist to commiserate with his family.

Sanwo-Olu, who was accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Barr. (Mrs.) Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin; and other government officials, said the late Adebanjo lived a fulfilled life.

The governor described the late Afenifere leader as “a true Omoluabi” who created relationships across all ethnic, cultural, and diverse groups in Nigeria during his lifetime.

He said: “On behalf of all of the South-West Governors, the people and government of Lagos State, we’re here to commiserate with the family, to appreciate them, and to say that Baba (Chief Ayo Adebanjo) lived a life full and worthy of emulation.

READ ALSO: Edwin Clark: A patriot has transitioned to the great beyond -Tinubu

“He was a man that was always at his best and spoke truth to power at all times. He stood for whatever he believed in and defended it very well. He created relationships across all ethnic, cultural, and diverse groups. But more importantly, he was a true Omoluabi. We cannot but celebrate him.

“We have also commiserated with the Afenifere Group and expressed that it is a big shoe that we don’t know how or who will fit in; but because it is a celebration of life, we will also be participating in one form or the other to ensure that we give him a befitting home calling.

“Our prayer is that God will grant him eternal rest. God will be with everyone, especially the immediate family. God will give everybody the fortitude to bear the loss. And God will grant the South-West and Nigeria in general the grace to fill that vacuum Baba has created.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu, while speaking on the death of Adebanjo and another elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, who died four days after the former, urged leaders to emulate them in shaping and moving Nigeria forward.

“Coincidentally today, we were aware of the death of another elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark; maybe they were communicating. These great men (Adebanjo and Clark) were men who actually shaped this country to where we are today. And for us in the leadership position, this is an opportunity for us to learn what they lived for, who they were, and to continue to push this country forward,” Governor Sanwo-Olu advised.

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In a statement by its chairman, Mr. Giwa Niyi Osoba, and publicity secretary, Mr. Wale Adedayo, the group described Adebanjo as an indisputable titan of the Obafemi Awolowo School of Politics.

The group said Adebanjo was not just one of its leaders, but a devoted one.

“Whatever achievements are credited to the government of the defunct Western Region under the able leadership of Awolowo, part of the credit goes to Adebanjo. He was an unwavering disciple of the late sage and dutifully carried out party’s directives with the required discipline. He was not just a great Awoist, Adebanjo was a Yoruba patriot,” the Ogun State chapter of Afenifere said.

It said Adebanjo’s Yoruba patriotism did not blind him to the inequity in Nigeria’s flawed federal structure.

He was said to have campaigned vigorously for a just and equitable federation in which every part of Nigeria could develop at its own pace without let or hindrance till he died.

“We are of the firm belief that Adebanjo will be welcome with pats on the back on the other side by Awolowo, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Senator Abraham Adesanya along with many other leaders who served our people with everything they had before their passages,” said the group.

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A former National Publicity Secretary of the organisation and former two-term member of the House of Representatives, Chief Babatunde Oduyoye, in a statement issued in Ibadan, called on the leadership of the Afenifere, now divided along the Pa Reuben Fasoranti and Pa Ayo Adebanjo factions, to put the interest of the Yoruba people first at this moment in history.

Oduyoye, who also served as the Minority Whip of the House of Representatives during his tenure in the chamber, spoke against the backdrop of the disagreements within Afenifere over different issues, especially the ambition and eventual victory of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the February 25 presidential election.

He maintained that it was saddening that leaders, who should be the moral compass of the Yoruba nation, were allowing division in their ranks, warning all sides to cease fire until a common ground could be reached on the issues.

Oduyoye equally called on well-meaning Yoruba elders, traditional rulers and men of reason to wade into the crisis rocking the Afenifere, noting that if allowed to fester, it would end up consuming the organisation and eventually affect the Yoruba nation.

According to Oduyoye, the evil intentions of the enemies of the Yoruba ethnic group, who had always tried to bring down the Afenifere over the years, would materialise unless well-meaning Yoruba leaders rallied round to save the organisation.

The former lawmaker equally warned individuals taking sides in the ongoing face-off to desist from fanning the embers of discord within the Afenifere, noting that it was untoward for any Yoruba man to insult elders because of political cleavages.

Oduyoye said: “One has heard and watched with much pain the brickbats and unsavoury attacks within and against the leadership of the Afenifere in the last few weeks and it becomes imperative to wade in.

“I call on all well-meaning Yoruba indigenes, especially our royal fathers and elder statesmen, to rise at this point and bring together the different interests, which now threaten the continued existence of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere.

“The Afenifere, as a brainchild of Papa Obafemi Awolowo, has fought for the interest of the Yoruba nation at different points in history and it remains the only surviving umbrella body that can unite all Yoruba and protect its interests.

“It will not bode well for the race and its people to allow the differences occasioned by the buildup to and eventual outcome of the just-concluded presidential elections to destroy the legacy of our founding fathers.

“Like it is in every democracy, Afenifere can, and has had disagreements within its fold, but I urge well-meaning Yoruba citizens not to sit idly and watch the Afenifere disintegrate.

“I equally call on individuals fanning the embers of discord by joining sides and insulting our elders in the name of political patronages to desist from such act. It is democratic to disagree and hold different views, but it is unsavoury for young people to denigrate Yoruba elders and leaders.

“For the victories it has won in many battles for and on behalf of the Yoruba people, the Afenifere has earned many enemies within and outside Yoruba land and these enemies have always tried to fight back. We must show these enemies that we are stronger than their shenanigans. And now is the most auspicious time for Yoruba leaders to save Afenifere.”

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The recent visit of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the Akure home of Pa Reuben Fasoranti continues to raise dust among many Yorubas, with almost all those making comments failing to take congnisance of the historic meaning of the visit and its implications for the Yoruba Nation.

For a number of Yorubas, including son of man, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, is an umbrella for Yorubas, who believe and act in the progressive ways of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his early aides. Afenifere is not a group for all Yorubas, being an organisation borne out of political necessity. That is why journalists and other social commentators, who often describe Afenifere as a socio-cultural group, always missed it.

Afenifere is a political group. It is for a certain set of people, who are of Yoruba descent, and who MUST believe in its original social welfarism approach to Government policies. This could be a reason socialists and persons of leftist dispositions have sympathy for Afenifere, being the closest to what these ones believe in: “The greatest good for the greatest number of people.” And the greatest number of people are of the middle and lower classes.

Afenifere is a political group. It is for a certain set of people, who are of Yoruba descent, and who MUST believe in its original social welfarism approach to Government policies.

And, despite being a Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, believes in the universality of man, acting against injustice in other parts of Nigeria to help others, as Olodumare remains one in the whole of creation. Tinubu’s visit, ostensibly made to seek the blessing of Afenifere, to me, has little or nothing to do with the adoption of Labour Party’s Peter Obi as the candidate of Afenifere by Adebanjo. To me, it is a return to his Orisun (source of political relevance in Yorubaland), despite the many years which he deployed to ensure that the group ceased to exist. Our struggles, being, retrogression or advancement in Yorubaland is rooted in the spiritual foundation laid by those who left this space for us. Only the spiritually discerning will know.

Without Afenifere’s blessing, Tinubu would not have been the Governor of Lagos State in 1999. Olodumare used the same Adebanjo of today, as a vehicle for his selection and endorsement at the time. Towards his re-election in 2003, Tinubu ensured he robed himself as an Afenifere despite the wars orchestrated against the group’s leaders in Lagos State, especially late Alhaji Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu. Lagos-based newspapers at the time had full-page advertisement anointing Tinubu, fully dressed in an almost Oluwo attire, as an ‘Afenifere ododo’.

READ ALSO: 2023: Afenifere declares support for Tinubu, says he’s the best

Adebanjo has NO reason to be angry at this time. Ibinu Baba Adebanjo ti ba awon nkan je s’ehin. His anger at some points cost the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) quality partnership in the South-East, South-South, North-East, North-West and North-Central, where AD made considerable gains during the 1999 general elections. AD had a Senator in Bayelsa State. Enugu State also gave AD a Senator. The party controlled Obowu Local Government, Imo State with a number of House of Assembly members in Kaduna, Plateau, Adamawa and some other Northern states.

Yes, there were Afenifere leaders with loyalty to the late Chief Bola Ige, mainly Arokeans (Ara Oke) from Oyo and Osun states, who felt the Ijebus were in charge of Afenifere, thus the need to wrest control from them, many of them regretted this negative role later. I remain a witness of this, along with a few colleagues. Towards the 2003 general elections, a towering pillar among these dissidents lamented to a select team of journalists from The PUNCH how late Senator Abraham Adesanya was cheating them of a share in all the largesse given to the group by its Governors. Tinubu was singled out as the best giver of largesse.

Adebanjo has NO reason to be angry at this time. Ibinu Baba Adebanjo ti ba awon nkan je s’ehin. His anger at some points cost the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) quality partnership in the South-East, South-South, North-East, North-West and North-Central, where AD made considerable gains during the 1999 general elections.

I have no doubt that beyond the selection of Chief Olu Falae as AD presidential candidate over late Chief Bola Ige in 1999 and possibly fall-outs of other infighting among Yoruba Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) leaders in the Second Republic, Tinubu was responsible for a major part of the implosion that rocked Afenifere. He has now retraced his steps and returned to base. Anger should not be the way forward. Forgiveness is key here. Adebanjo should not forget what happened to Ahitophel in the Holy Bible. God forgave King David. But Ahitophel did not. Baba may also want to consider Odu Ifa Ogbeyonu for the Yoruba Nation – out of insults, derision and the like will come a very fruitful outcome that’ll last for eternity IF our leaders can only forgive and move on. Forgiveness and patience are the needed items here.

A few days before Ige was assassinated, son of man wrote an article in The PUNCH warning about unsavoury consequences IF the civil war within Afenifere was not resolved through forgiveness. It is the same forgiveness I’ll preach here to our Leaders,

E fu’ra o

Pansa o fu’ra, pansa ja si’na

Aja o fu’ra, aja jin

Onile ti ko ba fu’ra, ole ni yo ko lo!

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The chapter, in a communique issued after its monthly meeting held in Ibadan and signed by the Chairman, Dr. Gbola Adetunji and Secretary, Hon. Dauda Adams respectively, said its position was in accordance with the resolution at Adamasingba Stadium in 2017, stating that the present political arrangement had short-changed the Yoruba nation.

It maintained that the primary objective of Afenifere as conceptualized by the founding fathers was to struggle for, sustain and protect the social, economic and political interests of Yoruba people and Yorubaland, insisting that this lofty concept could not and must not be jettisoned for any expedient political reason.

READ ALSO: Restructuring, road to Nigeria’s revival —Okei-Odumakin

It added that it was important for the group not to swim against the tide of popular public opinion in Yorubaland as doing so might be counter-productive for the future of Afenifere.

While lauding the untiring effort of the leadership of Afenifere at reiterating and reinforcing the Yoruba cultural belief in social justice and egalitarianism, the Oyo State chapter noted that that was highly commendable for the sake of fair play as succinctly expressed in the second and third stanzas of the anthem of the group.

On the prevailing insecurity in the land, it stated that Yoruba people should be encouraged to defend themselves, their property and their land from any form of internal aggression from any ethnic group.

It added that the local hunters and vigilance groups should be encouraged to complement the activities of Amotekun in order to secure Yorubaland.

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The group threw the challenge in a release issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, while reacting to a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that the federal government had identified 96 sponsors of terror groups in Nigeria.

According to the organisation, various officials of the federal government had at different times, talked about the government’s efforts at curtailing the menace of terrorism gradually enveloping the country.

Ajayi said: “But other than occasional reports of bombardments of terrorists’ camps by the military, no concrete steps are seen to be taken by the government to tackle the roots of the problem. Indeed, the failure of the government to act decisively in this respect has emboldened the terrorists to be more daring, leading to the death of thousands of people and capturing of many communities particularly in the northern part of the country by the terror groups.”

He stated further that the disclosure by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, that the Islamic West African Province, ISWAP, group was about taking over Nigeria not only attested to the above claim, should be a serious reason for concern warranting decisive actions on the part of the government and its agencies.

Afenifere spokesman added that disclosures by the government no longer impressed majority of Nigerians as many of the claims and promises made in the past were not followed up with necessary actions.

Ajayi recalled that the United Arab Emirate announced last year that six Nigerians were among the 39 terrorists on its wanted list and were actually tried and convicted in that country for setting up a Boko Haram cell to raise funds and material assistance for insurgents in Nigeria.

He added that the six Nigerians were said to have transferred up to $800,000 in favour of Boko Haram between 2015 and 2016, stating that Nigeria was supposed to follow up on that but had not shown that foreign countries appeared to be more concerned about insecurity and terrorism acts going on in Nigeria even more than the Nigerian government seemed to be.

On the N700 billion recovered through the whistleblowing policy of the government as disclosed by Mohammed, Afenifere said it was disturbed that government was still  borrowing heavily from abroad when it could harness recovered looted funds along with funds obtained from local sources.

It then called on the government to stop external borrowing, but provide jobs for the youths, boost the morale of security agencies and allow state and local government police.

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Led by its leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the group was at Tinubu’s house to express good wishes to him after his recent return form the United Kingdom where he went for a knee surgery.

In the group photograph at the occasion were Afenifere chieftain, Chief Supo Sonibare and Oba Olaitan Oladipo.

Also in the photograph are Tinubu, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, his daughter Shade and retired Assistant Inspector General of Police Tunji Alapini.

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The organisation made the call on Tuesday in a communique issued at the end of its meeting held at Sanya-Ogbo home of its acting Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

Afenifere, in the eight-point communique signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi, expressed concern over what it described as unprecedented security challenges facing the country.

It stated that terrorism and related vices including kidnapping were now so worrisome that people in places like Yewa, Ogun State, Oke Ogun in Oyo State, were forced to be relocating to Benin Republic and other West African countries.

It maintained that the federal government owed it as a duty to take urgent actions to guarantee the security of the people and put a stop to what was causing them agonies.

While expressing dismay over illegal mining activities going on in various parts of Yorubaland most especially by non-indigenes, Afenifere insisted that the manner of the activity was not only jeopardising the economic and agricultural activities of the people in these areas, the security of the people wass also being seriously threatened.

The communique reads in part: “Afenifere also took particular note of the incessant security breaches in our border towns in Kogi, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo. We hereby strongly call for the protection of the people in these areas.

“It is a known fact that Afenifere strongly stands by the Southern governors in their resolution on anti-grazing laws. We commend the steps taken by governors of the South West on the establishment of security networks like Amotekun. We urge them to continue to forge ahead.

“In view of the fact that Nigerian nation is fast moving into the precipice,  there is the need by the federal government to urgently put a halt to various acts of terrorism, kidnapping, herders/farmers clashes and the like. This, government can do, by immediately allowing states to have their own police. In fact, security aparatus should be democratised down to the local level.

“Afenifere again reiterated its position that restructuring remains the panacea to solve the multi various problems bedevilling the country now. And we insist that this restructuring should be done before the next elections in the country.

“In the meantime, every community must be at alert to realise that they must defend themselves from bandits who seem to have declared war on Nigeria.”

Those present at the meeting include the Deputy Leader of the organisation, Oba Oladipo Olaitan; the Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni; Chief Supo Sonibare; Apagun Kole Omololu; Leke Mabinuori; Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele; Dr. Gbola Adetunji; Dr. Alonge,  Babatunde Tijani; Dr. Amos Akingba; Jare Ajayi; Prof Akin Onigbinde and Dauda Adam.

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The group made this declaration in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi on Saturday, on behalf of its acting national leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

Afenifere said it was forced into what it called the unsavoury conclusion in view of various actions and pronouncements of the federal government in recent times.

It said the dictatorial tendency of the president could be seen in his insistence to go ahead with re-opening of grazing routes and establishment of ranches in the country when the preponderance of opinions across the country was to do away with open grazing.

It said:  “We vividly recall that on February 9, 2021, the 19 states’ governors in the North at their meeting resolved that open grazing could no longer be sustained. They resolved to encourage herders in their areas to go into modern way of rearing cows which is ranching.

“On May 11 of this same year, their counterparts in all the 17 states in the South met in Asaba, Delta state and placed a ban on open grazing. This was backed up with legal instruments through the enactment of an enabling law as passed by the respective Houses of Assembly as enshrined in Section 4 and in Part 2 of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“Also, against the wishes of the majority of Nigerians, the president went ahead to sign the PIB into law despite the obvious injustice contained therein and to which the attention of the government was called beforehand.

“Same goes for the insistence on going for the non transmission of elections results electronically when doing so was what majority of Nigerians wanted and asked for.”

The organisation maintained that only a government with dictatorial tendencies ‘behave in that manner, saying “this could be further seen in how Buhari  administration ‘is hard on those agitating for a better life for their people while it is soft on bandits, kidnappers and herders who are imperilling the lives of farmers.”

It regretted that on several occasions, the administration of President Buhari had taken measures that were totally against the interests of the Nigerian populace.

It said, “Contrary to the promises made during the electoral campaigns by the President and his party, the All Progressives Congress, the prices of commodities and services have skyrocketed while social services delivery and infrastructure kept receding.

“The worst aspect of all these is the level of insecurity in the country today. At no time in the history of this Nigeria had life been so cheap and living so precarious as they are presently. Unfortunately, those who should act are expressing their helplessness as exemplified by the call of Katsina State, Governor Bello Masari, on the people of the state to find the means of securing themselves against bandits who have literally taken control in many parts of the state.”

It said that Masari was not the first official to make such a call, stating that his was very significant not only because he belonged to the same political party with the president but also because he is the governor of the president’s home state.

“Rather than confronting the challenges in various issues that have direct bearings on the life of the people, the Federal Government preferred to go for the less impactful things such as regulating the media, going after those who are peacefully expressing displeasure over what is going on in the country and concerning itself with where and how cows are to be grazed in the country.”

Afenifere said the attitude on the part of President Buhari ‘recalls to one’s mind, the story of the Roman Emperor Nero who was busy on the fiddle when his empire was burning’.

Afenifere then called on the president to ‘redirect its administration adroitly, urging his government to  embrace democratic ethos immediately by pursuing only policies that are in the best interests of the people.

It also reiterated its call for an urgent restructuring of the country, saying “the only panacea to the multi-various problems bedevilling the country now is for the Federal Government to shun nepotism, confront insecurity and restructure the country immediately.”

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It advised that restructuring would, however, said restructuring that would bring about true federalism, would save the nation.

The group, in a communiqué, issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, after the meeting of the Executive Council, held at the Lagos residence of its acting leader, Chief Ayo Ayobanjo, said the signs “are ominous requiring steps to prevent the country from apocalypse.”

Present at the meeting among others were the Deputy Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan;  Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni; Treasurer, Chief Supo Sonibare; National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu; Secretary for the Diaspora, Mr. Adebayo Adenekan; Director of Research, Dr. Akin Fapohunda and Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo.

While throwing its weight behind the recent resolutions of the Southern governors with regards to placing a total ban on open grazing and having state police, it frowned at the disapproval being expressed by those it described as some Northern elements to the position of the governors.

It said, “Afenifere is in full support of the governors to have laws banning open grazing latest by September 1, this year. We notice that some states already have this law enacted. We urge the remaining states to enact the law expeditiously. Beyond the enactment however, we call for immediate enforcement of the law so as to put an end to various vices that the act of open grazing is engendering.

“Of what intrinsic benefit has open grazing been in the recent past going by various studies that have been done? It is on record for instance that open grazing is one of the major causes of desertification that is occurring in the northern part of the country. It is also on record that cows reared in a ranch are far more productive, healthier and are less tasking for the rearer compared to the ones being driven from one place to another in search of food and water. And certainly those in ranches constitute less risk to neighbouring communities compared to the ones migrating from one place to another.”

Afenifere maintained that the seeming intractable security challenges in the country were due largely to the restraint put in the way of state governors, stating that the security outfits put in place by the governors should be allowed to carry arms.

“The governors are described as Chief Security Officers of their respective states, yet they have no security agency that can be deployed to where crimes are being committed with arms. A security agency that can arrest, investigate and prosecute. Those of them who came up with some security apparatus like Amotekun are disempowered because they could not bear arms. And when they arrest suspected criminals, such suspects must be handed over to the police.

“As experiences have shown, once this is done, hardly do such cases go beyond the police. And the state security body has no control anymore since the Police is a federal agency who does not take order from the governor. This must change. State police, down to the level of local government, must become operational immediately,” it added.

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