The Yoruba Council Worldwide has accused the leader of pan-Yoruba socio-political Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, of embarking on a campaign of calumny against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“If you’ve been following Baba Ayo Adebajo’s approach, it is a campaign of calumny against Asiwaju. It is not because of his (Tinubu’s) aspiration now, he (Adebanjo) has always been on that. At any given instance, Asiwaju will always come to the fore,” the President of the group, Oladotun Hassan, stated on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday, Adebanjo restated support for the presidential ambition of Labour Party’s Peter Obi over Tinubu, who is a Yoruba man.
The 94-year-old Afenifere leader said to keep Nigeria one in 2023, every Nigeria should be “Obi-Datti compliant“. Obi is running for Aso Rock’s top job alongside Datti Baba-Ahmed.
“We will not compromise this principle of justice, equity, and inclusiveness because one of our own Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a frontline candidate,” Adebanjo said.
However, Hassan accused the Afenifere leadership of hate against the former Lagos State governor
“Asiwaju is their albatross; that has been the campaign they are after. Their support for Peter Obi is at the instance of their hatred against Asiwaju.
“In the last election, Afenifere supported Atiku (Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party). What is the driving force of Afenifere?” Hassan queried, adding that there is no consistency in Afenifere’s belief system and that the group’s statements could ignite ethnic violence between Yoruba and Igbo people.
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“As President of Yoruba Council Worldwide, we believe in Asiwaju, we endorse Asiwaju, we are giving Asiwaju continuous support,” he submitted.
However, an Afenifere chieftain, Gboyega Adejumo, countered Hassan, saying the stance of Adebanjo-led Afenifere is guided by equity, fairness, and justice.
“Afenifere has been the only socio-political organization with a high rate of success in uniting Nigerians.
“It was Pa Adebanjo who made Asiwaju governor. But this is not about a Yoruba man; it is about equity and what is right for Nigerians,” Adejumo said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
