Chief Ayo Adebanjo, elder statesman and the acting leader of Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, has maintained that he is the group’s authentic leader.
Adebanjo spoke in an interview on Wednesday, in response to the claim by Pa Reuben Fasoranti that he’s now the real leader of the group.
Fasoranti had stated that the meeting of the sociopolitical organisation would henceforth hold in Akure, capital of Ondo State and that the leaders of the group would no longer converge on Isoya Ogbo, Ijebu home of Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
According to Fasoranti, the group never endorsed the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, for the 2023 presidential election, who was an endorsed candidate of Pa Adebanjo.
He had also denied being paid to endorse Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he had always been a man of principle.
However, reacting in an interview with Daily Independent, Adebanjo, who laughed at Fasoranti’s statement, stated that they were waiting to see who would attend any Afenifere meeting in Akure, Pa Fasoranti’s hometown.
Adebanjo said, “No problem. Let them hold the meetings in Akure and see the number of people that will attend.
“I am the leader of Afenifere. They are just trying to cause confusion and I won’t help them to do that. If he says people should not come.”
Crisis is currently brewing in Afenifere over which presidential candidate to endorse.
While the Adebanjo group endorsed Obi, Labour Party presidential candidate, Pa Fasoranti endorsed Tinubu of the APC.