Against the recent announcement of Oba Oladipo Olaitan as the new leader of Afenifere, the National Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Jare Ajayi, has said that there is no leadership vacancy yet in the group.
Ajayi who spoke on Wednesday said, “It is a known fact that the National Leader of Afenifere, Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti is still very much around.
“He is not only hale and hearty, he is adroitly providing the requisite leadership – to the glory of God”.
Ajayi quipped; “in a situation where there is no vacuum, how do you talk of filling a vacancy that does not exist?”
He paraphrased a Yoruba saying: ‘Bi oba kan ko ku, omiran kii je’. A king is not appointed when the incumbent is still very much on the stool. ‘Pa Fasoranti who is the Leader of Afenifere and Asiwaju of the Yorubas is actively performing as such’.
He stated further that Afenifere has a procedure for appointing its Leader.
The manner in which the one announced on Tuesday was done ‘is alien to Afenifere tradition’. Afenifere spokesman added that the organization is still mourning the demise of one of its highly respected leader, Ayo Adebanjo.
He concluded by saying that the focus of the organization at the moment is on having a befitting burial for its erstwhile acting leader, Adebanjo “and furthering the best interests of the Yorubas”.
