Chief Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere says it is only those trying to divide the Yoruba land that have endorsed the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Pa Adebanjo said this in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
The Afenifere leader noted that the group should address the main issue, which according to him is to return presidency to the South-East.
In his words, “There’s nothing going on other than to split Afenifere to which I will not be a party. It’s a sort conspiracy among those who want to get Afenifere divided. It will be a diversion. All we want now is an election on issues.” Adebanjo, who insisted on support for a South-East presidency, stated that Afenifere is not a cultural organisation for the Yorubas.
“I will continue to repeat that emphatically that Afenifere is the Yoruba interpretation for the Action Group led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who is the champion of federalism in Nigeria. “It’s in that context that the question of rotation and federal character came in and we are a party to it.”
Chief Adebanjo was absent at the endorsement of Tinubu by a leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, and several South West leaders on Sunday at Fasoranti’s residence in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Sunday.
However, during an interview with newsmen on Sunday, the elder statesman said he was not expected to attend the meeting where Tinubu was endorsed.
During the meeting, Fasoranti prayed for Tinubu, just as he declared, “Tinubu will win the election.” The Afenifere leader noted that his support for Obi was already known. Adebanjo is quoted to have said,“In the first place, I was not supposed to be there. In the second place, we have made our position clear.
“Pa Fasoranti asked me if I was coming, I said if he asked me to come.
“But tell him what the position of Afenifere is. Once he has done that, I’m not going into any controversy about that. “Afenifere has taken a stance to support Obi. Any other splinter or rebel group… I’m not going into any controversy about that. “I regard that as a diversion. What we are going to do now is see that we succeed at the election,” he added.