Afenifere Crisis My Take By Tola Mobolurin

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I think it will be useful if people who are commenting on these issues educate themselves. Too many people are jumping into the fray with such pitiful background knowledge that they miss the issues.

Now to the contporary issue. I’m not to sure that Chief Adebanjo ever claimed Afenifere was speaking for all Yoruba. Not all Yoruba are Afenifere. So, what’s the issue if others disagree. They can state their disagreement, including those who are members. You don’t go and recruit non-members and pose that you are having an Afenifere meeting. That is fraudulent. People were not even invited to the meeting on the platform of Afenifere. So how can a meeting that is not Afenifere generate an Afenifere communique?!!

There have,since 2003, been efforts to “kill” Afenifere. Each effort has failed. First a coup to take over the Jibowu office of Afenifere by force by some youths brought into the governing structure of Afenifere failed. Some of these characters were also in Akure. Then a faction of Afenifere was inspired and sponsored. It was first headed by Sen. Fasanmi, then Olabiyi Durojaiye and now Chief Oluwa. But since this Fasanmi faction of Afenifere never really got credibility, Tinubu had continued to make efforts to subvert the real Afenifere. Today, as he is wont to do, he has succeeded in infiltrating Afenifere using people who never understood what Afenifere really means. They are a mixed multitude of those who have axe to grind with Chief Adebanjo, those who think Afenifere is a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group or seek make it one. It’s all part of the effort of a man who refuses to be amenable to party discipline but seeks to buy everyone; to impose his suzereinty over the party. He rejected collegiate leadership and sought to set himself above the party, state and region. Every power structure that could provide a countervailing restraint on his impunity must be destroyed. Afenifere has always been in his crosshairs.

But Afenifere in its purity with its mission and values, it will rise, survive even this assault and prosper. Those who think rascality will destroy the house Awolowo built, that Pa Ajasin sustained, that Pa Adesanya defended and that Fasoranti superintended and which Chief Adebanjo is maintaining will fail. He can have his own “Afenifere”, if he insists and his latest recruits abide with him but he cannot have the real Afenifere. Its protected by the spirits of those who went before and the labours of those who remain and have committed, to stand!