By Blessing Elo Oghene
The National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Abagun Omololu, has expressed optimism about the future of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation following the death of its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, describing those still criticising developments within the group as people living in a “cloud of cuckoo land.”
The controversy within Afenifere intensified ahead of the 2023 general elections, when the organisation’s then acting leader, the late Pa Ayo Adebanjo, backed Peter Obi of the Labour Party, while its substantive leader, Fasoranti, supported Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
The disagreement created divisions within the organisation over its preferred presidential candidate.
Speaking on The Morning Show, an Arise News programme, on Wednesday, Omololu described the episode as an unfortunate development, noting that such a division had never occurred in the history of 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 the organisation, Omololu expressed confidence that Afenifere would remain strong despite the leadership transition.
“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,” he said.
