The visit by Mr. Bola Tinubu to a former member of the group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, sparked reactions from the leader of the pan-Yoruba organisation Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who claimed that the comments that followed it were an attempt to split the group.
The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Tinubu, paid a visit to Pa Fasoranti on Sunday in Akure, where the former governor of Lagos State received support.
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However, Chief Adebanjo, who had previously supported Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), asserted that the recent action was intended to splinter the group during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He said on Monday;
There is nothing going on other than an attempt to split Afenifere to which I will not be a party.
It is a sort of conspiracy among those who want to see Afenifere divided. They have been on this plan for over a month ago and my members came to me to alert me about it and I said, ‘Don’t talk about it. It would be a diversion.
All we want now is an election on issues.
He said Pa Fasoranti had called to inform him about Tinubu’s planned visit. He said the former Afenifere leader was initially not open to receiving the APC candidate but he persuaded him to do so.
“I will tell you the story and I won’t go further,” he said.
Pa Fasoranti phoned me on Friday that Tinubu had phoned him and that he wanted to come and see him and he wanted to say no. I said no, don’t do that, you are an elder statesman. If he wanted to see you, why not?
As far as he is concerned, Obi’s endorsement is based on the principles of equity as the South-East has not produced a president since the return of democracy in 1999. Since the South-West and South-South have produced the president, he said it is the turn of the South-East.
