Afenifere Sacks Adebanjo As Acting Leader

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has quashed the office of its Acting Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, as part of the move to reposition the foremost Southwest group.

Daily Trust reports that Chief Adebanjo became the acting leader of the group after the patriarch of the apex socio-political organisation, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, stepped down from the position, citing old age.

At a meeting held on Wednesday at the Ijapo residence of Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo state capital, the leaders of the group unanimously moved the motion to abrogate the dual positions of the acting leader and deputy leader.

The motion, which was first moved by Dr. S.J Ibikunle from Ogun State, was later seconded by the members of the group from Ekiti, Kwara, Oyo and Ondo States.

They, however, declared that the responsibilities and authority of advising the leader of the group would now be vested in the Afenifere Elders Caucus.

“In the light of recent events and the pressing need to reposition and rejuvenate Afenifere, it has been decided as follows: the position of Acting Leader and Deputy Leader have now been abrogated.”

“The responsibilities and authority of advising the Leader Afenifere and Asiwaju Yoruba are now vested in the Afenifere Elders Caucus which is hereby constituted,” they said.

However, in a statement issued to reporters after the meeting by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, the organisation reiterated its call for an urgent need to rework the security architecture of the country to ensure that Nigerians can live and move about without fear of being kidnapped or harassed.

“Such reworking should include giving states and local government councils that so desire to establish own police services with all the requisite powers to function as such. Doing so would check, if not totally stop, the incidences of kidnapping and sundry banditry now ravaging the land.”

The group also noted the unfortunate explosion in Ibadan, Oyo state capital underscored the need to allow the federating units in the country to control mineral resources in their respective areas with particular reference to mining and exploration.

“The reasoning behind this was that had it been that states were in control of mining for instance, the Oyo State government was likely to know how explosives were being moved around.

“Such would have made last week’s horrendous blast that claimed many lives, traumatized hundreds of people and destroyed properties running into Billions of Naira would have been prevented,” it added.

While reinforcing its call for the restructuring of the country, Afenifere therefore urged President Bola Tinubu to set the machinery in motion for the development of the zones.

The group took note of the fact that the President, a known democrat and federalist would not hesitate to do things that will quicken the country’s quest for true federalism in which people would have self-determination within the context of one nation that is genuinely democratic and federal.”