Indubitably, concern has heightened in the political class among the Yoruba of the South-West, as contention now mars discussions on who should be regarded as the current leader of the Yoruba race, coming after the deaths of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Michael Ajasin and Chief Abraham Adesanya, respectively.
The demise of former leader of the pan- Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, who also doubled as leader of Yoruba race, Pa Abraham Adesanya, in 2008, almost terminated the effectiveness and influence of the group and the race. Reason: There was a ferocious and unprecedented succession battle to fill the vacuum. This was influenced by politicians who were dogged in their resolve to hijack the leadership of the revered group for political reason.
Worse still was the ill-health that characterised the last days of Adesanya who could not assert himself on his purported choice of who should succeed him. The late National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) chieftain was said to have chosen Ondo State-born Chief Rueben Fasoranti as the Acting Leader. But while all seemed quite well as Adesanya was alive, the centre could no longer hold after his death on that fateful Sunday, April 27, 2008, as those opposed to his choice of successor soon raised their voices against Fasoranti. Those opposed to the choice of Fasoranti said it was against the tradition of the group to have an acting leader.
To them, what the constitution of the group provides for is the office of the Deputy Leader. Those in this category included Chief Abdulkareem Adebisi Akande, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, among others. “The post of acting leader is alien to the constitution of Afenifere”, Akande said. But the likes of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, the late Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu, Alhaji Adegbenga Kaka, Prof. Femi Okuronmu and Chief Supo Sonibare agreed with the arrangement.
The rivalry later polarised the group into two factions which led to the emergence of two leaders; Fasoranti heading one while Senator Ayo Fasanmi led the other. Immediate past Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, was believed to be in support of Fasoranti, while Fasanmi was said to have been sponsored by the Tinubu group. On Thursday, November 20, 2008, a faction of the group loyal to Fasoranti gathered at the Ijebu-Igbo residence of the late Pa Adesanya where Fasoranti was claimed to have been made substantive Afenifere leader.
It would be recalled that there is a pronounced acrimony between Tinubu, who is a leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and former Lagos State governor, and Daniel, who during the crisis was Ogun State governor and an arrowhead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West.
Those within the Tinubu camp are majorly former governors of the geo-political zone who believe that former President Olusegun Obasanjo of the PDP deceived them into a pact with them but later swept the carpet off their feet which made them lose their bid to return to office in 2003. They still hold that against Obasanjo, Daniel and other PDP governors who were beneficiaries of their misfortune. The division among the two groups led to the emergence of Afenifere Renewal Group, an interventionist group; that sprung up to save the situation. But soon after that, some notable Yoruba leaders converged on the Ikenne, Ogun State residence of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to broker peace within the Afenifere.
The meeting, which was chaired by the matriarch of the Awo dynasty, Chief (Mrs.) HID Awolowo, came up with a new name for the group, Yoruba Legacy Forum. As a follow-up to the meeting last year, Mrs. Awolowo called on both Tinubu and Daniel to see her for a meeting in Ikenne, but rather than attending at the same time so the real peace initiative could be brokered, the duo went at different times, hence, the initiative was stalemated. This continued until the April general election when Tinubu’s ACN won overwhelmingly in the South-West to the disadvantage of the PDP and Daniel in particular. Daniel at that time was losing the control of the party in his Ogun State.
In fact, the pressure became so much that he had to abandon the party for Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). At the end of the day, he failed in his attempt to choose a successor. He also failed to run for the Senatorial election in which he had so much indicated interest. Tinubu’s ACN gained the control of Ogun State. The ACN, after the April poll now controls five out of the six states in the South- West, leaving the Labour Party with one state. Specifically, the ACN won the governorship election in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos. The party is also in power in Osun and Ekiti, where the governorship election was not held.
The Labour Party is in charge of Ondo, leaving the PDP with nothing. Apart from producing the state governors, ACN members from the zone now dominate the states’ legislature and the Southwest representation at the National Assembly. This victory of the ACN has, therefore, heightened the clamour for the recognition of the Tinubu-led faction as the authentic group to lead the Yoruba race. Since age is no longer on Fasanmi’s side and given the fact that Tinubu perhaps, single-handed, plotted and sponsored the PDP’s defeat in the South-West, he is now being touted in some quarters as the new Yoruba leader. But this proposal is not without criticism in some quarters.
The meeting, which was chaired by the matriarch of the Awo dynasty, Chief (Mrs.) HID Awolowo, came up with a new name for the group, Yoruba Legacy Forum. As a follow-up to the meeting last year, Mrs. Awolowo called on both Tinubu and Daniel to see her for a meeting in Ikenne, but rather than attending at the same time so the real peace initiative could be brokered, the duo went at different times, hence, the initiative was stalemated. This continued until the April general election when Tinubu’s ACN won overwhelmingly in the South-West to the disadvantage of the PDP and Daniel in particular. Daniel at that time was losing the control of the party in his Ogun State.
In fact, the pressure became so much that he had to abandon the party for Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). At the end of the day, he failed in his attempt to choose a successor. He also failed to run for the Senatorial election in which he had so much indicated interest. Tinubu’s ACN gained the control of Ogun State. The ACN, after the April poll now controls five out of the six states in the South- West, leaving the Labour Party with one state. Specifically, the ACN won the governorship election in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos. The party is also in power in Osun and Ekiti, where the governorship election was not held.
The Labour Party is in charge of Ondo, leaving the PDP with nothing. Apart from producing the state governors, ACN members from the zone now dominate the states’ legislature and the Southwest representation at the National Assembly. This victory of the ACN has, therefore, heightened the clamour for the recognition of the Tinubu-led faction as the authentic group to lead the Yoruba race. Since age is no longer on Fasanmi’s side and given the fact that Tinubu perhaps, single-handed, plotted and sponsored the PDP’s defeat in the South-West, he is now being touted in some quarters as the new Yoruba leader. But this proposal is not without criticism in some quarters.
Those against it are of the opinion that Yoruba leaders emerge naturally; hence, Tinubu should not put himself forward for the office. It would be recalled that when Awolowo emerged the leader of Afenifere and by extension, the undisputable leader of Yoruba, he was neither the oldest nor the richest man within the group. He emerged naturally and was unanimously accepted. Within the group, there were older people like the late Pa Emmanuel Alayande and even his deputy, late Chief Michael Ajasin. Awolowo directed the affairs of the group politically, socially and economically till his demise in 1987 at the age of 79. Just automatically, the late Pa Ajasin became his successor before his demise. So, when Pa Ajasin passed on, a very vibrant person with guts was needed as a successor because the political terrain had become deadlier than envisaged.
So, it was at a well-attended Yoruba Assembly in Ibadan in 1998, that the late Senator Abraham Adesanya was unanimously proclaimed Yoruba Leader through popular acclamation, while the late Cicerio of Esa-Oke, Chief Bola Ige became his deputy. Adesanya was chosen for his courage, honesty, forthrightness and humility, among other leadership qualities embedded in him. But, Tinubu at different fora has denied being in the race with Daniel for the top position, but without hiding the fact that if Yoruba people call on him, he would be more than ready to lead them.
“I am not at any race or contest for Yoruba leadership with Otunba Gbenga Daniel. No. The people will choose their leaders. I am an AC leader, he is a PDP governor; we are in no contest of any kind. If the Yoruba need a leader, we have some older people who are credible and capable, who can lead us. And if they say, yes, it is Bola Tinubu, I will take the challenge. But I am not thinking of campaigning to be leader of any ethnic group or spokesperson of the group or being in contest in a partisan situation.”
He equally denied playing any untoward role in the weakening of Afenifere. “I am proud that they see me as influential, and powerful to influence our people; enough to weaken retrogressive ideas, to weaken ideas that are not consistent with the yearnings of our people for change and the development of our people, to wipe out poverty; to start to care for the sick and the infants, to start to put our educational standard in a better perspective.
Not to deceive the public, but to perform to the admiration of the public. If the public now respects and believes in me, I have no apology for that because they see me as sincere and committed”, he told a national newspaper recently in an elaborate interview. Former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola believes that, “Yoruba people have very high standard with which they measure who their leader would be. Anyone who will lead the Yoruba must tower above everybody in honesty, industry and integrity. Anyone who wants to be Yoruba leader must be beyond suspicion. His roots, education and his work history must be known.
The Yoruba must know where he is coming from. Those who spearheaded the emergence of Awo as Yoruba leader were not even from his political camp. It is works, personality and integrity that threw him up. Time will tell if another Awolowo will emerge”. Senator Okurounmu says that apart from saying that the circumstances on ground cannot produce decent leaders for now in Yorubaland, Okurounmu listed what anybody who aspires to lead should be able to explain to the people: his background, level of morality and level of commitment to Yoruba cause, among others.
As for former presidential candidate and Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) chieftain, Chief Olu Falae, Yoruba leaders emerge naturally and that, what qualifies one is not money, or the political office that one has held. He harped on “maturity, consistency in projecting and protecting the Yoruba cause”. While aligning with the qualities that a Yoruba leader should possess, both former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola-Bucknor Akerele and ACN chieftain, Senator Tony Adefuye, maintained that the leadership of the race is not vacant. They told Sunday Mirror in separate interviews that Mrs. Awolowo is the current leader of the race, and that she’s performing the role effectively.
So, it was at a well-attended Yoruba Assembly in Ibadan in 1998, that the late Senator Abraham Adesanya was unanimously proclaimed Yoruba Leader through popular acclamation, while the late Cicerio of Esa-Oke, Chief Bola Ige became his deputy. Adesanya was chosen for his courage, honesty, forthrightness and humility, among other leadership qualities embedded in him. But, Tinubu at different fora has denied being in the race with Daniel for the top position, but without hiding the fact that if Yoruba people call on him, he would be more than ready to lead them.
“I am not at any race or contest for Yoruba leadership with Otunba Gbenga Daniel. No. The people will choose their leaders. I am an AC leader, he is a PDP governor; we are in no contest of any kind. If the Yoruba need a leader, we have some older people who are credible and capable, who can lead us. And if they say, yes, it is Bola Tinubu, I will take the challenge. But I am not thinking of campaigning to be leader of any ethnic group or spokesperson of the group or being in contest in a partisan situation.”
He equally denied playing any untoward role in the weakening of Afenifere. “I am proud that they see me as influential, and powerful to influence our people; enough to weaken retrogressive ideas, to weaken ideas that are not consistent with the yearnings of our people for change and the development of our people, to wipe out poverty; to start to care for the sick and the infants, to start to put our educational standard in a better perspective.
Not to deceive the public, but to perform to the admiration of the public. If the public now respects and believes in me, I have no apology for that because they see me as sincere and committed”, he told a national newspaper recently in an elaborate interview. Former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola believes that, “Yoruba people have very high standard with which they measure who their leader would be. Anyone who will lead the Yoruba must tower above everybody in honesty, industry and integrity. Anyone who wants to be Yoruba leader must be beyond suspicion. His roots, education and his work history must be known.
The Yoruba must know where he is coming from. Those who spearheaded the emergence of Awo as Yoruba leader were not even from his political camp. It is works, personality and integrity that threw him up. Time will tell if another Awolowo will emerge”. Senator Okurounmu says that apart from saying that the circumstances on ground cannot produce decent leaders for now in Yorubaland, Okurounmu listed what anybody who aspires to lead should be able to explain to the people: his background, level of morality and level of commitment to Yoruba cause, among others.
As for former presidential candidate and Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) chieftain, Chief Olu Falae, Yoruba leaders emerge naturally and that, what qualifies one is not money, or the political office that one has held. He harped on “maturity, consistency in projecting and protecting the Yoruba cause”. While aligning with the qualities that a Yoruba leader should possess, both former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola-Bucknor Akerele and ACN chieftain, Senator Tony Adefuye, maintained that the leadership of the race is not vacant. They told Sunday Mirror in separate interviews that Mrs. Awolowo is the current leader of the race, and that she’s performing the role effectively.
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