I’m Afenifere leader by succession – Oba Olaitan

In this interview with WALE AKINSELURE, factional Afenifere leader Oba Oladipo Olaitan speaks on the death of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the organisation’s leadership succession, allegations of factionalisation and the prospects of reconciliation

What does the death of Pa Reuben Fasoranti mean for Afenifere?

It is a big blow. It is a sad loss of a father and one of us who led us for so many years. He was 100 years old. He has gone to meet his Creator. We wish him eternal rest and pray that his soul rests in peace. We have lost a gem.

This is the second major loss for Afenifere, following the earlier death of Pa Ayo Adebanjo. What do these losses mean for the current state of the organisation?

We thank God that they lived meaningful lives. One died at 96, while the other died at 100. They lived full lives. They served this nation and Afenifere. It is a good time for them to rest.

Following Pa Fasoranti’s death, your faction issued a statement suggesting that you had consolidated your leadership of Afenifere. But we know there were two sides: the Fasoranti camp and the Adebanjo camp.

May God bless the soul of Fasoranti. You are the one who sees a problem; I don’t see a problem. I have said it time and again that there are no factions within Afenifere. There could be people who differ on certain issues. That is why I say there could be tendencies within Afenifere, but no factions. I have said this for the umpteenth time. We are the same Afenifere.

What led to the emergence of the two sides associated with Fasoranti and Adebanjo? You were deputy leader before becoming leader. Can you take us through the history of that division?

I have said there are no two sides to Afenifere. You are asking me to tell you the history of something I don’t know and don’t agree with.

But the media refer to you as the factional leader of Afenifere.

If that is how you in the media choose to see us, I can’t help you. I have told you that we are one. If you choose not to see us as one, I cannot help you.

Was there any recent meeting held, involving the two Afenifere factions, where a consensus was reached on your leadership of the group following Fasoranti’s death?

But you called me the leader of Afenifere.

I said, factional leader.

I have told you that we do not have any factions.

What is the procedure for choosing a leader of Afenifere?

We have an apostolic mode of ascension in Afenifere.

What does that mean?

It is just like what you find in the selection of an Oba in Ibadan. If there is a leader and a deputy, when the leader dies, the deputy takes over. There is no contest. It is natural and spontaneous; you don’t have to talk about it. Once the leader dies, the deputy takes over. I was the deputy, and I took over.

You insist that Afenifere is one, but there are two spokespersons associated with the two sides: Jare Ajayi, who speaks for the Fasoranti camp, and Prince Faloye, who speaks for the Adebanjo camp, which you lead. How do you explain this?

If you are a father with two children, and your first child decides to attend a Roman Catholic church while the other attends a Pentecostal church, do they cease to be your children simply because they belong to different denominations? They are still your children.

In the interest of reconciliation, what are you prepared to concede?

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Who is fighting? Where is the quarrel?

But there are often two sides speaking for Afenifere in the media, sometimes expressing different positions.

Those are tendencies. If you have two children, and one decides to eat eba while the other chooses rice, do they cease to be your children because of that? Do you call them factional children because of that?

From the time of Obafemi Awolowo, Afenifere was known for speaking with one voice. Now, there are what you describe as tendencies associated with Fasoranti and Adebanjo. When will Afenifere return to speaking with one voice?

There is no need for reconciliation because we are one, in our view. If I think the AB line is good and another person thinks the AC line is good, there is no problem. We are still the same Afenifere. There are no factions, only tendencies, and there is nothing wrong with that. We cannot all sleep facing the same direction.

Does it augur well for Afenifere not to speak with one voice?

Voice is voice.

Is this the kind of Afenifere you desire?

Which other Afenifere do you desire?

Shouldn’t Afenifere speak with one voice for the Yoruba race?

Do you want a dummy Afenifere, a dumb Afenifere, a non-progressive Afenifere, a zombie Afenifere or a non-thinking Afenifere? Is that what you want? No. We want a virile Afenifere. Let’s think, argue, talk about issues and debate. That is the Afenifere I am leading. That is the one I want. I don’t want an Afenifere in which one person speaks, and everyone says that is final.

If there is anyone within Afenifere saying something different from what I am saying, that is a tendency within the organisation. We will sit down and talk about it. That person might be able to convince me that their position is better, and then we will adjust.

What are you telling the other side, which you describe as a tendency within Afenifere?

I urge the other tendencies to be forthright and put the interests of the Yoruba race and the Nigerian nation first. We cannot stand in isolation from this country. The Yoruba nation is within Nigeria. We cannot say we are not concerned about Nigeria. We consider the interests of the Yoruba people, Nigeria and the various components of the country. We are for every human being. We are not sectional, nor are we guided by primordial sentiments. We are large-hearted.

How do you establish your legitimacy as Afenifere leader?

Our legitimacy is based on apostolic succession. I was once a deputy, and now I have become the leader. I progressed from being deputy to becoming leader. You cannot just come from nowhere and declare yourself the leader of Afenifere. There must be a track record. You must have held one position or another and progressed through the ranks.

I was once the financial secretary of the organisation. I was appointed deputy leader and then appointed leader. Nobody can claim to be the leader of Afenifere without having gone through this process. That is the procedure. You must have a track record and demonstrate that you have served the organisation. You must progress through the ranks.

What if the other side announces the emergence of a leader following Fasoranti’s death?

They won’t do that. We are together, so there would be no need for it. If anybody does that, they would have broken the rules. Such a person would not be recognised as Afenifere leader because they would not have followed the established procedure for succession. If you do not follow this apostolic method, you are not the leader of Afenifere. Nobody can simply jump the queue. It is not done.

Has the Afenifere you lead adopted a position on the 2027 presidential election?

No. We are still discussing it. We have not taken a position. I pray that this nation moves forward and gets better. I believe our economy should be put on the right path and made more inclusive. Everyone should be safe on their farms, in their offices, on the roads and in their homes. We should also have enough food to eat.