Fasoranti reclaims Afenifere leadership, rejects Adebanjo’s position, insists on Tinubu

The leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, has reclaim the leadership of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, putting an effective end to the acting leadership of Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

Recall that Adebanjo became the acting leader of Afenifere due to Fasoranti’s old age.

But Fasaranti on Wednesday, said leaders of the group would no longer converge on Isoya Ogbo, Ijebu home of Adebanjo.

According to the elder statesman, the meetings of the organisation will henceforth hold in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.

It was gathered that following the shifting of the meeting venue to the residence of Fasanranti in Akure, Adebanjo ceased to be acting leader.

Fasoranti, frontline educator and Second Republic Commissioner for Finance in Ondo State, also reiterated the group’s endorsement of All Progressives Congress presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He rejected the insinuations that he was paid to endorse Tinubu, saying that he had been a man of principle all his life.

Fasoranti said those who started meeting at Ogbo after naming Adebanjo as acting leader misinterpreted him.

He said Afenifere meeting venue was moved to Adebanjo’s residence because they felt he was becoming senile, adding that the persons who said such had regretted it.

Fasoranti said he is not senile, adding “there is no shaking.”

He added, “The reason the meeting was shifted was due to misunderstanding and misinterpretation of some people that I was going senile. When I heard that, I reacted and the person saying that regretted it.”

Fasoranti said he would now communicate meeting schedules to Afenifere members after liaising with the secretary and other leaders.

Adebanjo had earlier said the group endorsed Peter Obi as its preferred candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

But Fasoranti said in an interview on an online television that Afenifere had not endorsed Obi.

He said, “I’m still the leader of Afenifere. Afenifere has not endorsed Obi, we are endorsing Jagaban (Bola Tinubu) for the presidency.”

Fasoranti promised to leave a legacy of stability and honesty in Afenifere.

He said the organisation would continue to agitate for restructuring.