Crisis looms in Afenifere as Fasoranti rubbishes claims on Obi’s endorsement, insists on Tinubu

The leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, on Tuesday, dismissed claims on the endorsement of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by the group.

The acting leader of Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, had repeatedly declared the group’s support for the former Anambra State governor.

He also described last Sunday’s meeting between the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Afenifere leaders in Fasoranti’s country home in Akure, Ondo State, as diversionary and insisted that there was no going back on the group’s endorsement of the LP candidate.

The differences between the two leaders might polarize the group and split the members into factions in the days ahead.

The elder statesman, who spoke in an interview with an online platform, said Adebajo lacks the capacity to stop him from receiving Tinubu who is consulting eminent Nigerians on his presidential aspiration.

READ ALSO: ‘Tinubu’s meeting with Fasoranti diversionary,’ Afenifere leader, Adebanjo declares

Fasoranti reminded Adebanjo that he remains the Afenifere leader with the power to decide who the group would support next year.

He said: “I remain the leader of Afenifere. Afenifere has not endorsed Obi. We are endorsing Jagaban (Tinubu) for the presidency.

“As you can see, the trend, the approval, and the acceptability. You could see what happened when Tinubu came to meet me in Akure. The media carried the whole thing. Adebanjo does not have the capacity to warn me not to welcome Tinubu. Can he do that successfully?

“What happened was that Adebanjo took a stand and I took a stand. I didn’t call him and he didn’t call me. We never spoke about the (Tinubu’s) visit. As you can see, Jagaban is accepted and we approve of him. Obi has no stand in our mind at all.”

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