A major crisis seems to have erupted in the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, over the South-West region’s support for incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid.
Afenifere, which is headed by Ruben Fasoranti, has in recent times canvassed for an urgent restructuring of the country, urging the Buhari administration to fulfil its electoral promise to Nigerians and implement the 2014 constitutional conference report.
The group has also said it would give its backing to any of the presidential candidates in the 2019 election who supports its clamour for restructuring, while expressing dismay at the leadership style of Buhari’s administration.
However, a splinter group, headed by former senator, Ayo Fasanmi, says it is opposed to demands of the Fasanroti-led group, saying it is in support of the re-election bid of President Buhari and his stance on the demand for restructuring.
Spokesman of this group, Awa Bamiji, in an interview with BusinessDay on Wednesday, claimed that the Fasanmi-led group was the Afenifere recognised by the different state governors in the South West, claiming that Fasoranti’s group was only fighting for its selfish interest.
Bamiji said his group was in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s and Vice President Yemi Osibanjo’s position on the demand for restructuring, adding that it would meet in Ibadan on Thursday, to decide on the way forward for the region.
A leader of the Fasoranti-led Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, told BusinessDay that Fasanmi’s splinter group was being sponsored by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilise the group. He accused Fasanmi and his group of acting the script of some individuals in the region.
“Fasanmi group is APC in disguise,’’ Adebanjo said. He wondered why the group was just coming out now. ‘‘Where have they been all this while? It is only when elections are coming that you see them acting the script of some individuals,’’ he noted. ‘‘We don’t believe they exist and we don’t want to join issues with them because they are inconsequential.”
Publicity secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumanki, accused Fasanmi’s group of playing the script of the national leader of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, wondering where the group was when the region needed protection.
“They are Tinubu’s seasonal Afenifere leaders, men he puts forward during election period, to say they are Afenifere. Where were they when the Southwest region was under attack from the Fulani herdsmen,’’ he asked, adding that ‘‘the Yoruba are not fools.’’
