Afenifere didn’t endorse Tinubu’s second term bid — Group

Afenifere Diaspora USA on Monday dismissed report on the purported endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term bid.

The Group stated this in a statement titled: ‘Afenifere Diaspora USA cautions Chief Omololu Abagun And His Co – Travelers’, co-issued by its Chairman, Professor Sikiru Fadairo and its Secretary, Comrade David Adenekan.

Worried by the development, the Group cautioned against the misrepresentation and impersonification of Afenifere’s identity in a press statement issued by Chief Omololu Abagun.

“Now that we have buried the ashes with a befitting state burial for a great icon of democracy, Chief Ayo Samuel Adebanjo, it is time to truly unmask the masquerade to dismiss every iota of falsehood and misrepresentation of the identity of fact; Afenifere is under one umbrella as intactly left behind by Chief Ayo Adebanjo of blessed memory.

“There is no Chief Omololu Abagun and his co – travelers in the pyramid structure of Afenifere, including in all the structures of Afenifere in diaspora.

“This is truly a disclaimer based on organization structure and representation of leadership,” Afenifere Diaspora USA declared.

“It is also very imperative to debunk some of the statements made in the so- called press statement issued by Chief Omololu Abagun:

Is it not a figment of imagination for one Chief Omololu Abagun to sit at one place in the corner of his room to issue a false statement that claimed Afenifere has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a re-election in 2027?

“Is this not laughable? To say the obvious fact, in Afenifere, any decision of such magnitude of national interest is always taken after a rigorous brainstorming to evaluate or weigh the pros and cons of such decision, having taken into great cognizance the overall interest of the whole country.

“No such decision of great national interest will be taken without adequate consultations with every organ of the organization.

“What, where, why, when and how did Chief Omololu Abagun arrive at such decision that Afenifere has endorsed Tinubu for re election in 2027? Where is the communique, who and who signed it?”, the group queried.

“In a democracy, the power to re-elect an incumbent President lies in the hands of the electorates, and no single individual or pressure group has the power and authority to make such a clarion call that an incumbent president must be re elected,” the group added.

“The group further queried the statement that was released by Chief Omololu Abagun that Tinubu is not a Yoruba president.

“The statement may be true because Tinubu is not representing the goodwill of Yoruba as a people. Suffice it to say, the statement made by Chief Omololu Abagun may be semantically related to the obvious fact that, Tinubu is not representing the Yoruba as a people.

“Moreso, a probe into PBAT’S appointments is suggestive of lopsided appointments in favor of people of Yoruba tribe, including Kogi and Kwara states to the detriment of others in the other four geo political zones.

“We stand by the true meaning of Afenifere, ‘love thy neighbors as you love yourself.’

“We are also determined to continue to embrace the philosophy of the founding fathers of Afenifere to always uphold the principles of justice, fairness and equity; and to corroborate the fact of the statement based on empirical evidence that PBAT’S appointments are lopsided to favor Yorubas that are his great disciples. This cannot be overemphasized,” the group stated.

“Prejudice apart and without mincing words, the popular slogan among many of PBAT’S acolytes who are benefitting from his plum appointments and they quick to play to the gallery by singing and echoing, ‘Bola on your mandate we shall stand’ is not for the interest of Yoruba as a people.

“In the interest of unity of purpose and strong synergy, the general public must note that, Chief Omololu Abagun and his co-travelers are unknown to the organization structure and leadership representation of Afenifere, a disclaimer indeed,” the group affirmed.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE