By Dickson Omobola
National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Abagun Omololu, has expressed optimism about the future of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation after the death of its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, saying those still making noise on the sidelines are crying in a cloud of cuckoo land.
Recall that in the build-up to the 2023 general elections, which brought President Bola Tinubu to power, acting leader of Afenifere, the late Pa Ayo Adebanjo, supported Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, while the substantive leader, Fasoranti, supported Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, causing a division within the organisation.
Speaking on The Morning Show, an Arise TV programme, Wednesday, Omololu described the period as unfortunate, saying such a development had never occurred in Yorubaland.
He said: “It is an unfortunate period that we had before the 2023 election that got the acting leader and the substantive leader backing separate candidates. It’s an unfortunate thing. It had never happened in the history of Yorubaland.”
On the future of Afenifere, he said: “The future of Afenifere is fantastic. Somebody came to be appointed a leader. The era of Baba Adebanjo is gone. Whoever that is still making noise on the side, I see it as a cry in a cloud of cuckoo land.”
On Fasoranti’s legacy, he said: “To those of us who are very close to Baba, we have lost something in humanity. An embodiment of contentment, of somebody who sees public service as a sacrifice. Baba graduated from the University of Ibadan in 1951. There were not many graduates then. Immediately, he became a part of the Action Group of the late Obafemi Awolowo. He was a young man of 25 years old. Not many of his contemporaries were graduates.
“Baba (Awolowo) pulled him, he worked with the likes of Professor Aluko, Professor Aboyade Cole and the rest. These are phenomenal leaders who came to the world for service. That is what Baba is for us. There was a time Baba lost his wife. Now he used to be made the governor of Ondo State, which a lot of people are dying for. They are using drug money, they are using everything now to buy the position.
“The position was presented on the platter of gold to Baba, but he said, no, I cannot be a governor without having a wife, and I’m not ready to marry again. What a human being. Baba refused the position. That is why the position went to Baba Adefarati. This is a kind of human being. Baba’s life was Awoism. It’s not something where you march to gain political attention. It’s an inborn thing in him. We are going to serve the less privileged. That is what Baba is all about and Awoism. Egalitarian society. Let the rich get richer, while the poor must be looked after. These fingers are not equal. That is why they call us welfarists. That’s what Baba stood for. All his life. That was what Awolowo handed over to us.”
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