Afenifere Scraps Pa Ayo Adebanjo’s Office

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has annulled the office of the group’s acting leader occupied by Pa Ayo Adebanjo alongside his deputy.

The Publisher Nigeria reports that the Afenifere group, during its monthly meeting held at the residence of the National Leader of the association, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, on Wednesday, said Adebajo’s position had been cancelled.

The group in the communique read by the Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, said another group named the Afenifere Elders Caucus has been formed, and Adebanjo is also a member.

According to the communique, Fasoranti is the chairman of the elders’ caucus while some of the members of the group include Adebanjo, Olu Falae, Senator Cornelius Adebayo, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Seinde Arogbofa, Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, Prince Ladigbolu, Lt. Gen Alani, Akinrinade (Rtd.), Maj. Gen. Olu Bajowa (Rtd.), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, and Prof. Banji Akintoye, amongst others.

The group also expressed its displeasure over the state of the nation with particular reference to the socio-economic and security challenges in the country.

Afenifere reiterated it was time to restructure the country and urged President Bola Tinubu to set the machinery in motion for the purpose.

The communique partly 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 are able to 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 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 unfortunate blast in Ibadan clearly 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.

“The organisation (Afenifere) took note of the fact that the President, a known democrat and federalist would not hesitate to do things that would 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.”