Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Feisty Afenifere Leader, At 95 By Dr. Bisi Olawunmi

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By Bisi Olawunmi Ph.D

‘’This fight is not for me. I am not looking for anything but we owe it a duty to succeeding generations of Nigerians to bequeath a united nation based on justice, equity, fairness and good governance’’, he told the congregation. He noted that Afenifere’s support for the presidential candidacy of Peter Obi of the Labour Party was based on this doctrine of equity and fairness, considering that of the three southern zones, the Southwest and the South-South have produced presidents – Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, respectively – on rotational understanding, leaving out the Southeast as the only zone yet to produce a president. The Southwest currently also has the vice president.”

All roads led to the idyllic, rural village of Isanya-Ogbo, near Ijebu-Ode , Ogun state on Monday, 10th April, 2023 as the leader of Afenifere, the pan Yoruba socio-cultural cum political group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, marked his 95th birthday with a church service. Chief Adebanjo, who requested a special song – ‘ Ope lo ye o, Baba olore, iyin loye o, olorun oba … ( thanks, praises and gratitude are due to you, Lord ) when the celebrant’s dance was called, danced with so much vigour to the amazement and applause of family , friends and the Afenifere members at the event. In his appreciation of those who honoured him with their presence, he prayed that they too will live long and in good health and also be celebrated.
However, it was not a surprise that Chief Adebanjo turned his remarks into political exposition, and the podium a political pulpit on the state of the nation which he described as disappointing. Then , a rationalization : he explained that it was because Nigeria has not lived up to the great expectations of those of them who fought for independence that has compelled him to remain in political trenches at his advanced age. ‘’This fight is not for me. I am not looking for anything but we owe it a duty to succeeding generations of Nigerians to bequeath a united nation based on justice, equity, fairness and good governance’’, he told the congregation. He noted that Afenifere’s support for the presidential candidacy of Peter Obi of the Labour Party was based on this doctrine of equity and fairness, considering that of the three southern zones, the Southwest and the South-South have produced presidents – Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, respectively – on rotational understanding, leaving out the Southeast as the only zone yet to produce a president. The Southwest currently also has the vice president.
Chief Adebanjo had assumed the leadership of Afenifere in 2021, when the then incumbent, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, relinquished the office at age 95. He had indicated that he took the bow as a result of failing health, due to old age. Many had wondered why a 95 year old would be handing over to a 93 year old as at that time, with some contending that it amounted to entrenching gerontocracy at the apex of Afenifere leadership. This view was not lost on Chief Adebanjo who argued that leadership of the organization, since the death of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, its founding leader, had been based on long and loyal service to the organization.
Chief Awolowo had been succeeded by Chief Adekunle Ajasin, a former governor of old Ondo state, who was succeeded by Senator Abraham Adesanya, after whom the mantle of leadership fell on Pa Fasoranti. It is interesting to note that the leadership of Afenifere has oscillated between Ogun and Ondo states and between two professions – Law and Teaching : Awolowo, Adesanya and Adebanjo, all lawyers , from Ogun state and Ajasin and Fasoranti, educationists and former school principals from Ondo state. They belong to the dedicated elite. Chief Adebanjo alluded to this when he pointed out that Afenifere leadership is neither for sale to the nouveau rich nor available for hijack by impatient, young upstarts, without pedigree. Some young Turks who joined the organization by the time Pa Fasoranti was assuming leadersip, who were apparently not ready to be on a leadership queue, broke ranks with the old guard to form of a breakaway group, named Afenifere Renewal Group ( ARG ) led by Wale Oshun, a former commissioner in the Lagos state government. However, the Oshun-led ARG, founded more on hype than serious planning, soon lost gravitas and fizzled out, leaving the Oldies still standing. Afenifere have also had to contend with diverse political tendencies in its ranks, another burden inherited by Chief Adebanjo. Resolving these internal dissents have been compounded and aggravated by the just concluded 2023 general elections, given the attendant virulent campaign against Afenifere’s choice of support for a presidential candidate outside the Yoruba orbit. The political opposition, mainly foot soldiers of president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have before, during and after the presidential election drawn the long knives in attacks against Chief Ayo Adebanjo. Afenifere’s point that its position was based on equity and fairness did not fly with the opposition who insists that Afenifere should have supported one of its own, the Yoruba candidate.
However, in spite of the attacks on his person by political opponents, the old political warrior and the last man standing among Awo’s disciples, remains his ebullient and combative self. The three core values of Afenifere to which he remains resolutely committed are restructuring of the governance of Nigeria to give more powers to constituent states and thereby accelerate the pace of development ; one indivisible Nigeria and the restoration of the ‘ Omoluabi ’ culture of respect and integrity among the Yoruba. According to him, Afenifere’s political dalliances have been predicated on support for candidates who espouse belief in restructuring. He has no apology that those candidates supported by Afenifere at various times lost the elections – Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, President Goodluck Jonathan at the time he lost re-election and Atiku Abubakar. Although the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has declared Bola Tinubu as winner of the presidential election, Afenifere has stuck with Peter Obi of the Labour Party in his legal challenge of the election result, as a matter of principle.
Chief Adebanjo comes across as a combative and assertive personality. Those who have angst against him also say he is abrasive and domineering. Chief Segun Osoba, two time governor of Ogun state and former Afenifere chieftain, typifies those in this group. He believes that Chief Adebanjo exploits his elderly position to impose on younger ones. Chief Osoba once fumed : to talk down on people ? They also charge him with rigidity of position. He is not easily persuaded. Maybe these critics are not entirely wrong on the chief’s assertiveness. Chief Adebanjo is obviously a ‘Take Charge’ leader. He also does not brook ignorance. For instance, he would not hesitate to cut short, in mid sentence, a speaker raising issues about an item slated further down in the agenda of a meeting. He believes accommodating such will disrupt orderly discussion of issues. Similarly, he can be intolerant of a speaker raising an issue that had been concluded in a previous meeting at which the speaker was absent. Such speaker can be shot down during his speech. In such situations, many defer to him, based on cultural dictates, but there are those who have held high political office, with consequent sense of self importance, who couldn’t be restrained by culture and are tempted to respond with anger. Different strokes. Whatever may be some people’s misgivings about his leaderdhip style, for Chief Ayo Adebanjo, to be in office is to be in authority and control !!!
Apart from being an organizing secretary of the Action Group in the 1960s and acting national chairman of Alliance for Democracy in 1999, Chief Adebanjo has not held any political office, which makes some opposed to his leadership style to wonder how he has been able to attain high political clout, till date. I believe the answer lies in the force of his personality, supreme confidence, his articulate, fearless defence of any position held and his abiding commitment to Awoism. Chief Ayo Adebanjo practices what can be described as paternalistic hegemony – a belief in giving deference to old age, embedded in Yoruba culture. But like a disciplinarian father , Chief Adebanjo projects as someone who won’t abandon a child, however recalcitrant, when the chips are down. He once said of Chief Osoba : I have no issue with Segun. About Bola Tinubu, his position is that political disagreement is not a do or die affair – Ti a ba nja, ki se pe ka ku. This paternalistic attitude must have informed his solidarity visit to Tinubu on his ( Tinubu’s ) return from medical treatment in the United Kingdom. It is a disposition that divergent political inclination should not engender enmity.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo has weathered buffeting political storms, hence his thanksgiving church service.
At 95, Chief Ayo Adebanjo is at his vivacious and ebullient best when discussing politics and leaving people in awe when he gives copious political historical antecedents. He acknowledges the grace of God in his life and tells whoever cares to listen that he has paid his dues and ready for his call up to the great beyond, any time.
Dr. Bisi Olawunmi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Adeleke University, Ede, is former Washington Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria and Fellow, Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email : olawunmibisi@yahoo.com PHONE : 0803 364 7571 ( SMS ONLY )

TUESDAY, 11TH APRIL, 2023

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