Afenifere faction tackles leader over statement faulting s’court verdict

The pan Yoruba socio-cultural and political group, Afenifere under the leadership of Pa Reuben Fasoranti has rejected a position taken by Ayo Adebanjo-led faction condemning the supreme court verdict on the presidential election.

On Tuesday, the Adebanjo-led faction of Afenifere released a statement to condemn the supreme court’s verdict affirming President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 election.

The faction, in a communique, said the electoral reforms achieved through agitations of Nigerians and the billions of naira spent in the conduct of the 2023 elections have been wasted by the judgement of the apex court.

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However, in a statement released on Thursday by the national organising secretary of the Fasoranti-led group, Kole Omololu, the faction said the condemnation of the supreme court verdict “is far from the truth about Afenifere’s leadership position on the matter”.

Omololu added that Fasoranti and other Afenifere leaders were not privy to the “ignominious” press statement and did not authorise it.

“Let it be on record that Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, OFR and other Afenifere leaders are not privy to such ignominious press release, did not authorise it and do not subscribe to the seditious act as such may portend,” the statement reads.

“It is merely an unfortunate misadventure of some Labour Party elements within the Afenifere fold who would rather drag the body’s reputation in the mud to achieve whatever sinister and seditious end they might have concocted.

“We are unequivocally reiterating that Pa Ayo Adebanjo is the acting leader, who in the natural and traditional order of Afenifere, is expected to defer to his leader who appointed him.

“To do otherwise is to tread such ignoble path in national discourse as this unfortunate release reveals.”