Afenifere scraps acting leader’s position, renews demand for Nigeria’s restructuring

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has scrapped the positions of the acting leader and deputy leader.

The positions are presently occupied by Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Oba Oladipo Olaitan respectively.

The group announced the decision in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting held on Wednesday at the Akure, Ondo State country home of its national leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.

In the communiqué read by its Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere set by an Elders Council led by Fasoranti.

Other members of the council are Adebanjo, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olu Falae, former governor of old Kwara State, Cornelius Adebayo, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Seinde Arogbofa, and Kofo Bucknor-Akerele.

The rest are Prince Ladigbolu, Lt. Gen Alani Akinrinade (retd), former managing director of the defunct Nigeria Airways, Maj. Gen. Olu Bajowa (retd), former minister of external affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, and Prof. Banji Akintoye.

The group also decried the socio-economic situation in Nigeria and demanded the country’s restructuring.

The group became polarized in the days leading to the 2023 general election with the members divided on the choice of consensus candidate between President Tinubu and the Labour Party presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi.

Before the problem set in, Afenifere has spearheaded the push for Nigeria’s restructuring as the ultimate solution to its myriad of problems.

READ ALSO: Again, Afenifere factions clash over Tinubu’s victory

The communiqué’ read: “In the light of recent events and the pressing need to reposition and rejuvenate Afenifere, it has been decided that the position of acting leader and deputy leader have now been abrogated.

“The responsibilities and authority of advising the leader of Afenifere and Asiwaju Yoruba are now vested in the Afenifere Elders Caucus which is hereby constituted.

“There is an urgent need to rework the security architecture of the country to ensure that Nigerians can live and move about without the fear of being kidnapped or harassed in any way.

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

“The unfortunate blast in Ibadan underscores 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, traumatised hundreds of people, and destroyed properties running into billions of naira would have been prevented.”

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