Fasoranti to Adebanjo: It’s Illegal to Assert Obi Won Presidential Poll
•Says Afenifere, the world acknowledge Tinubu as declared by INEC
•Faults suspension of two national officers, dismisses it as null, void
Fidelis David in Akure
Leader of Yoruba’s frontline Socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasanranti, yesterday, told his acting successor, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, that it was illegal to continue to assert that the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, won the February 25 presidential election outside of the person so declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Fasoranti, however, insisted that the organisation, and indeed, the whole world acknowledged that Nigeria now has a president-elect in the person of Bola Tinubu, candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) – a man he further described as a true Yoruba son and national
He also faulted the alleged suspension of the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi and the National Organising Secretary of the organisation, Abagun Kole Omololu, over their position on a recent comment by a chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, saying the suspension was null and void.
Adebanjo, had in a Commuinique issued after Afenifere’s monthly General Meeting held at his country home in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, alleged uncouth activities and unauthorised statements in its name and the constant denigration of the organisation by Ajayi and Abagun, including asserting that Obi won the presidential poll.
But Fasoranti, a frontline educator and Second Republic Commissioner for Finance in Ondo State, in a statement wondered why the two were pronounced guilty and consequently sanctioned even before their appearance before a disciplinary committee.
The statement titled: ‘Afenifere is Law-abiding Organization’ read: “My attention has been drawn to the Communique purportedly issued after a meeting that held on Tuesday, March 27, at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State. This statement is being issued because of the content of the said document.
“Section 2.02 of the document claims that ‘the results of the lawful votes at the Presidential election available to the Afenifere through credible sources confirm that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, won the said election’.
“Afenifere could not have asserted that someone, other than the person declared by the body duly authorised by the Constitution and other extant laws of the land, is the winner of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023 in Nigeria.
“The body mandated to conduct elections in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), after the completion of this year’s presidential election on February 25th, has declared the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the winner of the said election.
“Our National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Comrade Jare Ajayi, issued a congratulatory message to the President-elect after he had been issued a Certificate of Return by INEC. This was cited as an ‘uncouth activity’ by the Communique mentioned above which further stated that Abagun and Ajayi were ‘suspended sine die pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee’. Meaning that the two were pronounced guilty and consequently sanctioned even before their appearance before a Disciplinary Committee.”
Fasoranti noted that Adebanjo’s claim that Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, won the February 25 election and thus, support his decision challenging the contrary declaration by the INEC was alien to Afenifere, which does not conduct itself as an agent of the state let alone as an electoral umpire.
His words: “Presently, the whole world knows that Nigeria has a President-elect in person of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a true Yoruba son and nationalist. We in Afenifere not only acknowledge this, we take delight in his in-coming Presidency and are confident that he will, by the grace of God, return Nigeria to the glorious position that all of us will be proud, which was why I also congratulated in a personal letter I sent to him.
“The whole world is aware that I personally blessed and anointed Ahmed Bola Tinubu on October 30, 2022 in the presence of notable people from all parts of Yorubaland right here in my place in Akure. How can we then turn round and condemn the election of such a person? We never did.
“I also read in the said Communique, the purported removal and suspension of the National Publicity Secretary and the National Organising Secretary of the organisation in persons of Comrade Jare Ajayi and Abagun Kole Omololu.
“At no time was any of these officials reported to me as doing anything against what Afenifere stands for or doing anything against the interests of our race, the Yoruba. Thus, at no time was I informed that they were queried, warned or sanctioned for conducting themselves in a manner contrary to what Afenifere or the Yoruba stand for.”
Fasoranti, therefore, contended that, “being an organisation that believes in justice and fairness, being an organisation that always maintains that those at the helms of affairs should follow the rule of law, Afenifere, our organisation, cannot just wake up and pronounce some officials removed and suspended without telling them what their offences are and without giving them the opportunities to defend themselves.
“Such a step is not only against natural justice; it is also in clear defiance of the law of the land. Afenifere believes in the rule of law and in the fundamental rights of all, including right to fair hearing. For these and other reasons, the purported removal and suspension are null and void. The two officials should be commended rather than condemned for the selfless services they are rendering to Afenifere, to the Yoruba race and to Nigeria and humanity. They are hereby so commended”, he added.
