Nov. 1, 2022

The leader of the pan-Yoruba group Afenifere Chief Ayo Adebanjo has reacted to Mr. Bola Tinubu’s visit to a former leader of the group Pa Reuben Fasoranti, saying the comments trailing it are an attempt to divide the group.

Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), visited Pa Fasoranti in Akure on Sunday where the former Lagos State governor was endorsed.

But during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Chief Adebanjo who earlier endorsed Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi said the latest move was aimed at splitting the group.

“There is nothing going on other than an attempt to split Afenifere to which I will not be a party,” he said on Monday.

“It is a sort of conspiracy among those who want to see Afenifere divided. They have been on this plan for over a month ago and my members came to me to alert me about it and I said, ‘Don’t talk about it. It would be a diversion’,” the Afenifere chieftain added. “All we want now is an election on issues.”

He said Pa Fasoranti had called to inform him about Tinubu’s planned visit. He said the former Afenifere leader was initially not open to receiving the APC candidate but he persuaded him to do so.

“I will tell you the story and I won’t go further,” he said. “Pa Fasoranti phoned me on Friday that Tinubu had phoned him and that he wanted to come and see him and he wanted to say no. I said no, don’t do that, you are an elder statesman. If he wanted to see you, why not?”

As far as he is concerned, Obi’s endorsement is based on the principles of equity as the South-East has not produced a president since the return of democracy in 1999. Since the South-West and South-South have produced the president, he said it is the turn of the South-East.

“South-South has had its own and I said it is remaining the South-East,” he noted.