The National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, paid a private visit to the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, Ondo State. Hakeem Gbadamosi who captures the visit writes on the likely positive implications of the visit to Afenifere and Yoruba race.
The symbolic unexpected private visit of the national Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and some other national leaders of the party to the home of the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, Ondo State capital, last Wednesday, after 14 years of parting ways with the group, has been seen by many as a political realignment coming in the south west ahead of the 2019 election, and was perceived as a move to further protect the future of Yoruba race in Nigeria politics.
The visit to the residence of the Afenifere leader did not come as a surprise to some political pundits who had earlier predicted the possible home coming of Tinubu, immediately after the noticeable cold war that ensued among the various blocs within the ruling APC, where Tinubu was being sidelined politically and losing some of his trusted foot soldiers to the cold war. This is apparent during the 2016 governorship election in Ondo State where those regarded as “Tinubu boys” openly worked against the interest of their godfather in the election.
However, last week’s visit reignited the bond that once existed between the group and Tinubu who was once a member of the group. Tinubu has never looked back since leaving the group at the wake of the 2003 general election when Tinubu in his rare acts of political vision refused to join other five governors of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the South West to go into an unholy alliance to support former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his bid to secure his second term in office then.
Incidentally, all the governors who went after the Obasanjo’s baits are still licking their wounds till date as they all lost to the Obasanjo’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) except Tinubu who remained the last man standing. This romance did not only lead to the loss of the five out of the six South West states, but propelled the crash of Afenifere as a political force and voice in the country, while Tinubu opted out of the group and AD to form Action Congress (AC) which later became Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
The APC National leader and Afenifere have always been on the different divide since the PDP tsunami that swept through the South West states in 2003. This led to the formation of a rival group known as Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) which was said to be funded by Tinubu. But despite this, member of the Afenifere group, under the leadership of Fasonrati never seized to recognise Tinubu as one of their own, promising to embrace him with an open arms if he shows interest in returning in to the fold.
One of the prominent chieftains of the group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, last year rose and stood solidly behind Tinubu after a perceived attacks on the APC National leader.
Adebanjo viewed the attacks on Tinubu as an attack on Yoruba race saying the gang up against Tinubu is an orchestrated attempt by some forces within APC to ridicule him and also to divide the Yoruba race.
To many, this support for Tinubu by the octogenarian served as indication that the group never seized to see Tinubu as one of their own.
However, it was reliably gathered that some members of the Afenifere who are not comfortable with the division between Tinubu and the leaders across the Yoruba states, felt the need to make peace with him to foster unity and development within the Yoruba nation.
The closed door meeting between the visitors and his host, Fasonrati, was less than an hour. Though, issues discussed at the meeting were not made public, but Tinubu said he was in Akure to pay homage to Fasonrati as the leader of the Yoruba and to acknowledge his leadership as the head of the foremost recognised Yoruba socio-political group, which has provided the needed voice for the race.
Tinubu, Afenifere, south west
From right, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Afenifere Secretary General, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, and Chief Bisi Akande during their meeting on Wednesday, November 22, 2017.
He said “I am in Akure to acknowledge the leadership of Pa Fasoranti in our own race, as a great leader of the Omoluabi, in his evening, we want him to be happy, he has been a great leader in his youth and we must also make him happy. His intellect is still very intact. We are here to seek his advice, seek his understandings and prayers, that is why I am here.”
Speaking on why it took him so long to visit the leadership of Afenifere, after some 14 years of parting with the group, Tinubu said “whatever is my decision is my decision and as an ordinary reporter, you cannot be asking me that. I decide on my time base on the charter of United Nations on Human Rights. I am a democrat and I believe in constitutional democracy.”
The leader of the Afenifere group, Fasonrati, described the visit of Tinubu as a sign of good things to come to the Yoruba race, noting that the meeting will further foster great understanding among the Yoruba people and states and said “this meeting is an indication of great things to come, the coming together of Yoruba leaders, there will be an understanding on major issues affecting Yoruba race. We will consult and move ahead.
“As it is now, there will be a great understanding among the leaders as Tinubu is a leader in his own right. This should lead to reconciliation of ARG and the mainstream as Tinubu has a leg there. They are his supporters. This signal shows we will come together.”
The APC in the state also hailed the visit of Tinubu to Fasonrati saying this will further solidify the unity among Yoruba leaders. The party, in a statement issued by its Publicity Director, Steve Otaloro, however said the visit of Tinubu “does not mean that there are disagreements among our leadership as it has been misinterpreted in some quarters.”
He said “Visiting the Afenifere leader and other leaders in Akure, Tinubu has prompted unity of purpose among the Yoruba leaders and and the people for them to work in unity for socio-economic development of the land.”
However, political pundits have described the meeting as a new turn in the politics of the South West. They noted that Tinubu, unarguably remains one of the political light in the country and his coming back to the Afenifere fold is meant to solidify his base, which is the South West, ahead of the 2019 election in the country. Many political analysts had predicted alignment and realignment of forces ahead the general election and the visit has been seen as one of the such moves to reposition the South West in the national politics.
Apart from this, the meeting was also seen as significant towards unifying the Yoruba race and nation, and also to avoid divisions within the South West states and for the race to speak with one voice on issues affecting the region and the nation as whole. Some leaders of Afenifere who were present at the meeting were said to be excited over the new development, with one of the leaders saying “we are getting back there gradually, Yoruba never had it so bad in the past years like this. We will all speak with one voice with no dissenting voice again.
“By next year, the jostle for political positions will begin, we need to come together to see how our collective interests will be projected and protected. Yorubas should stop pretending that all is well while our physical, structural and moral values continue to nose dive while the political class continue to be on different page,” he said.
Also a political analyst in the state, Wande Ojo, described the visit and coming back of Tinubu into the Afenifere fold as an added advantage to the group. He however said that the group would provide a solid political platform for Tinubu saying most of the men in the group are men of integrity who have seen it all and are at the twilight of their lives and would not hide to tell the truth as it is. He said these old men are only interested in the unity of the Yoruba race.
Ojo recalled that the leaders within the region have held series of meetings and summit in search for unity for the region and Yoruba race which the APC National leader never attended. He noted that this was an indication that the leaders are uncomfortable with some development and polity and the need to address some issue. He said “Tinubu should also romance with these men to find a lasting solution to issues affecting the Yoruba race.”
The visit, either with or without political colouration will definitely have positive results towards avoiding division in the land and unify the region towards working common goal. Leaders in the region have been hailing the steps taken by the APC National leader, Tinubu, as a right step toward unity of the Yoruba race but some have been asking questions if it is not another trick to lure the Yoruba nation again.
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