*Rubbishes Adebanjo claims, dismisses communique issued at Ogbo
*Voids suspension of two officials
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti has disclosed that the organization is not against the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the President elect.
The Afenifere leader in a statement he personally signed, rubbish the communique purportedly issued after a meeting held in the name of the body on Tuesday, March 27, at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State.
Pa Fasoranti said, “being a law abiding organization, Afenifere could not have asserted that someone, other than the person declared by the body duly authorized by the Constitution and other extant laws of the land, is the winner of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023 in Nigeria”.
Emphasizing that Afenifere ” is not against the election of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu whom he personally blessed and anointed on October 30, 2022 before the whole world”, the Afenifere leader said, “How then would we turn round and condemn the election of such a person? We never did so.”
“My attention has been drawn to the Communique purportedly issued after a meeting that held on Tuesday, March 27, at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State. This statement is being issued because of the content of the said document.Section 2.02 of the document claims that “the results of the lawful votes at the Presidential election available to the Afenifere through credible sources confirm that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, won the said election”, he said
The Afenifere leader added, ” Afenifere could not have asserted that someone, other than the person declared by the body duly authorized by the Constitution and other extant laws of the land, is the winner of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023 in Nigeria”.
” The body mandated to conduct elections in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), after the completion of this year’s presidential election on February 25th, has declared the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the winner of the said election.
Pa Fasoranti stated ” On the assertion that someone else other than the person declared by INEC as winner of the presidential election. This type of position is alien to us in Afenifere which does not conduct itself as an agent of the state let alone as an electoral umpire. We accept the results of the elections at all levels as declared by INEC until otherwise decided by competent courts in the land” .
” Presently, the whole world knows that Nigeria has a President-elect in person of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a true Yoruba son and nationalist. We in Afenifere not only acknowledge this, we take delight in his in-coming Presidency and are confident that he will, by the grace of God, return Nigeria to the glorious position that all of us will be proud of.”
Our National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Comrade Jare Ajayi, issued a congratulatory message to the President-elect after he had been issued a Certificate of Return by INEC. This was cited as an ‘uncouth activity’ by the Communique mentioned above which further stated that Abagun and Ajayi were ‘suspended sine die pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee’.
The Afenifere leader stressed ” meaning that the two were pronounced guilty and consequently sanctioned even before their appearance before a Disciplinary Committee.
That is not the Afenifere way. A General Meeting does not have the power to convene and take such a far-reaching decision just at the whims of individuals”.
