Afenifere divided over support for Tinubu, Obi

Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere is divided over who to support between Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

Recall that in July, Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere said only Obi would govern independently “without the influence of these criminals in the government”.

However, another member of the group who is also national chairman, South West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA), Dayo Adeyeye described the endorsement as Adebanjo’s personal decision, and not that of Afenifere.

Speaking in an interview Adeyeye said Adebanjo’s support for Obi’s presidential ambition does not represent Afenifere because the organisation is “not a one-man show”.

“I have respect for Adebanjo. He is my leader in Afenifere. As of today, the leader of Afenifere, for clarity, is Reuben Fasoranti,” he said.

“There is no faction in Afenifere. What Fasoranti has merely done was that since he is advanced in age, he appointed someone to act on his behalf in the interim and that person is Ayo Adebanjo.

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“If a decision is going to be taken by Afenifere, it is not a one-man show. What I read in the papers was a personal decision of Adebanjo and not the opinion of Afenifere,

“Whatever Adebanjo said was not a statement issued at the end of a meeting of the organisation, it was his personal decision. It is not a fact that Afenifere is divided or there is a faction.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the Afeniferes are behind Tinubu.

“I expect this (election) to be perhaps the most competitive election and one that will be watched more keenly throughout the world because Nigeria is at a crossroads and we must get it right.

“I believe we have that candidate who can turn things around for good for Nigeria.

“I do not see a possible run-off because the bar for you to be declared elected as president is not too high as we have it in some other nations of the world.

“In Nigeria, what you need is to have the majority of the votes and one-quarter of the votes in two-thirds of the states. I think that is easier to secure. We have a network.