Otunba Kole Omololu is the National Organising Secretary of Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere. In this interview he speaks about the controversy surrounding leadership in the organisation, why Pa Reuben Fasoranti is the leader of Afenifere and other leaders are subject to him. JOY ANIGBOGU brings the excerpts:
Prince Justice Faloye said he is the national spokesperson and you said that you are the national organising secretary, which Afenifere is the authentic one? There is the Afenifere that said it doesn’t support #EndBadGovernance protest, it suggested to President Bola Tinubu the things he should do. There are other splinter groups, why is Afenifere confused at a time the President is from the South-West extraction?
I have come here for education. Afenifere has been since pre-independence of Nigeria, since 1951. We are a legacy not only to the Yoruba race but to Nigeria. Without being modest, people like us are like General Officer Commanding (GOC) within the organisation. We have come a long way with all these leaders so we know a little bit more about Afenifere than the young people who we don’t know where they are coming from. Anybody can make any insinuation or allusion but my coming here is for education and to state the fact about who we are as Afenifere. It actually started with Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the first chairman and leader. After the demise of our Baba, Pa Ajasin became the leader but when he was sick he appointed an acting leader in the person of Senator Abraham Adesanya. All the meetings and everything was done in his house. We are Yoruba despite the fact that we have pan Nigeria in our blood. Our culture, our values revolve around who we are. We are not English, we are not Germans, and we are not Americans. We are Yoruba, we are part of world history and this is the legacy that we are portraying and we want to hand over to our younger generation. Everything takes place in the leader’s house in Owo but after his demise Baba Adesanya became leader and let me tell you, leaders are always elected in Afenifere. It is only the leader, every one of us in the executive is appointed by the leader. We are at the mercy of the leader. So when Baba Ajasin was sick he made Baba Adesanya the acting leader. After his death Baba Adesanya was elected as the leader. Again it happened that Baba Abraham Adesanya was sick and he asked Baba Reuben Fasoranti to act on his behalf. The leader of Afenifere is like a King, he has to die before anybody can become leader. We have many leaders but the leader is one.
Yesterday we talked about factions, who is the leader of Afenifere?
The leader of Afenifere is Pa Fasoranti, who was elected as leader in Ijebu Igbo.
What about Pa Ayo Adebanjo?
Pa Ayo Adebanjo is a leader under Pa Fasoranti. We call them leaders. He is not the only one. Pa Adebanjo is a leader. Oba Olu Falae is a leader. The number one leader is Pa Fasoranti.
Yesterday (Wednesday) Prince Faloye spoke about this administration and Afenifere’s position, he expressed disappointment and said that they might even look at the possibility of establishing a new political party or support another party because this government has failed them because it has moved away from the ideal of Afenifere under Pa Awolowo…
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Like I told you, I have been around for a while and there are many of us who have been around. There are so many others who know so much about Afenifere. I belong to a sub group in Afenifere called Ediri Oodua headed by Dare Babarinsa.
What of Conscience of Yoruba Nation?
Conscience of Yoruba Nation is a sub group of Afenifere. We used that to involve the intelligentsia who are sitting down at home who are not coming to meeting. I don’t think that there is any high ranking Yoruba person who is not a member, or does not know what is happening. To confirm what you just said, yes, the leader is Pa Reuben Fasoranti.
There was a time Pa Fasoranti stepped down and put the powers in the hands of Pa Adebanjo. Pa Fasoranti said he had returned to reign of power when President Bola Tinubu emerged as a candidate then, tell us what happened then, are you by any chance saying that Tinubu is doing well? The truth is that there’s no money, there’s hardship, there’s no peace, how can Afenifere be supporting a government when there’s no money, no peace and there’s hardship in Nigeria?
Afenifere is a very objective organisation. I don’t know where you get the word support from. We talk about issues. Yes, it is true, presently Nigeria is going through a tough time. All governments in Nigeria, the 36 states governors including the Federal Government should be responsible. Whatever challenges that we have should be thrown open to them. Also up to the local governments, let us start intelligent discussions about governors in Nigeria. Let everybody that is involved put in their best. You know we are targeting one person, the president, what about the sub national group like the governors? What are they doing on agriculture, on food, on security?
What happened between the time pa Fasorani gave power to Pa Adebanjo, did he take the power back?
That is why I went back to the beginning, when Afenifere started in 1951 and how leaders are appointed. As at the last meeting in January the positions of acting leader and that of the Deputy leader was abrogated and replaced by the council of elders in Yoruba land about 23 of them. So, these are the people that are advising the leaders. The positions of acting and Deputy were abrogated.
How do you think this confusion in Afenifere can be resolved, we have Jare Ajayi speaking for Afenifere, we have Prince Justice Faloye speaking for Afenifere, you are also speaking for Afenifere at another time it was Mogaji Adejumo, how do you hope to resolve this confusion?
Good things always attract this kind of thing. All these things happened before the last election. Let’s support this, let’s support that, and election has come and gone and I can assure you that they will be resolved. A lot of things are brewing.
