In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act— George Orwell….
Something frightening is about to happen in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital today. Certain leaders of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in the south west shall be endorsing incumbent president and APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the zone, using the platform of the Yoruba socio -cultural group, Afenifere . The chairman of the factional Afenifere is Senator Ayo Fasanmi.
Ibadan has played host to so many historic events in the life of the Yoruba race and Nigeria. It was in the ancient city that the founder of Afenifere, first Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was unanimously adopted as the Leader of the Yoruba race on the eve of the civil war. It was in Ibadan that some leaders assembled and endorsed the late military dictator, General Sani Abacha’s plot to transmute himself to a civilian president until it was divinely aborted.
The Afenifere under the leadership of Chief Reuben Fasoranti had earlier endorsed Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the erstwhile ruling party, the PDP. In a geopolitical zone where the six states are in the firm grip of the APC, Afenifere endorsement of Atiku is “insolence” taken too far. Today, the APC appratchik in south west are smarting to decapitate Afenifere.
Spokesperson of the Afenifere faction, Chief Akin Fasae, offered an illumination of what to expect in Ibadan, today.
“We have decided to host the whole Yorubaland in Ibadan on January 29, 2019.
“It is to proclaim the support of the Yorubaland for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and also to tell the whole world that the Afenifere that Baba Awolowo created before he left is still intact as a progressive movement and any Afenifere person who is not in the progressive is not part of us.
“We are now telling the whole Yoruba people and the whole world that Afenifere, as enunciated and enacted by late sage Obafemi Awolowo, is still intact and we are going to support President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo come 2019 Presidential election.”
Fasae dismised the group under the leadership of Chief Reuben Fasoranti as renegades. Hear him:” The Afenifere that we know in Yoruba land is a progressive movement… The other Afenifere (the Ayo Adebanjo group) that is talking about Abubakar Atiku are not part of us. They are usurpers.
“The Yoruba are not divided; there are not so many Afeniferes. Yoruba is a nation and even during the time of Baba Awolowo, there were dissent voices. So, we are not embarrassed….
“So, every other person in Yoruba land who is not a renegade is with us. “
It is not the first time Afenifere is being subjected to trial.
In year 2000 , a parralel group, Yoruba Council of Eders, (YCE) was floated by former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to neutralise the dominance of Afenifere in the zone. Chief Abraham Adesanya was the chairman of the Afenifere during those trying period while former governor of old Oyo state, Chief Bola Ige was his deputy. Incidentally, Chief Ige was the Minister of Power and Steel and later Attorney General of the Federation, (AGF) in Obasanjo’s cabinet. Fingers of scorn were pointed at him over the emergence of YCE which had Pa Emmanuel Alayande as chairman.
The crack in Afenifere was down the line, as it left the governors of the defunct Alliance for Democracy, (AD) divided, pitching camp between the two leaders of the Yoruba socio-cultural group.
Chief Bisi Akande, and late Lam Adesina, governors of Osun and Oyo states, respectively, pitched camp with Chief Ige. Chief Olusegun Osoba, and Chief Adebayo Adefarati, governors of Ogun and Ondo states backed Chief Adesanya. Only Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the governor of Ekiti state was a fence sitter. Asiwaju Tinubu, who was governor of Lagos state smartly romanced the two leaders.
As the battle raged, there was a movement instigated by the governors that Afenifere should be insulated from the AD to curb the perceived excesses of its leaders.
The Afenifere leaders stood their ground, preaching precedence : that the defunct Action Group and the Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN) (both founded by Chief Awolowo) were mutually inclusive with Afenifere .
Like all movements built on quicksand and political expediency, the YCE collapsed like a pack of cards even before Chief Obasanjo finished his second term as president.
The ongoing power game to create an alternative leadership for Afenifere is a real threat; not one that could be dismissed with a wave of the hand. The protagonists of the plot have followers in the zone and the threat, this time, is real with disastrous consequences for the Yoruba nation.
Afenifere leaders, the likes of Chief Ayo Adebanjo have said their endorsement of Atiku Abubakar was informed by the former vice-president pledge to carry out restructuring of the amalgam, Nigeria. Restructuring of the federation is equally the first item on the APC blueprint, unveiled in 2014 but it has not been able to redeem its pledge.
The present crop of Afenifere leaders have their “excesses, ” but I am of the conviction that in advancing the cause of the Yoruba nation, they have proved to be long distance race runners. I stumbled on the name of former Oyo state governor, Dr Omololu Olunloyo in the list of the conveners of today’s event and I shuddered!
Our respected elders in APC can create their own alternative platform to rout Afenifere. It is their legitimate right in this macabre game of politics. In the North, groups like Northern Elders Forum have since emerged to compete for political space with Arewa Consultative Forum. Must we decapitate Afenifere?
Those who are threatening to render Afenifere impotent should reconsider their move with a deep introspection. It is the only attack dog left in the South west!
Recently, there was a skirmish in Ile Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba race between some Hausa- Fulani Okada (motorcycle) riders and some indigenes of the ancient town. There were casualties on both sides. Law enforcement agents were sent from Abuja to ferry the Yoruba culprits to the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) to face trial! Our governors were helpless but the leaders of Afenifere shouted on top of their voices, demanding that the suspects be tried within the jurisdiction where the crime was committed. Abuja later reversed itself.
Nigeria is at a cross road and we should stop deceiving ourselves that all is well. Mutual ethnic distrust is pervasive in the polity. Grazing route remains a nauseating topic in our national discourse. The 2023 Presidency is not cast in stone for the south -west as APC chieftains from the zone want us to believe .
Those behind the onslaught to render Afenifere prostate should tread with caution. The admonition of our elders is apposite here: “TORI WERE ITA LASE NNI WERE ILE….” (Massage the ego of the bully at the home front. You will need him when the external aggressor knocks on your door)…
