Afenifere after Pa Ayo Adebanjo

History judges a true leader by his legacy and clear succession plans for its continuity. Days before Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s death, a prominent Yoruba Chief, Bisi Akande has said that Afenifere had died with Chief Bola Ige.

Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye retorted that Afenifere could never die but was waxing stronger with new generations. With the death of Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the last of the original Awoists, the claim is to be tested especially with it being fractionalized.

It is true that Afenifere leadership is generational, adopting traditional Yoruba age-group (Egbe) system. However, Afenifere has been fractionized along ideological lines under the leadership of the two oldest nonagenarians – Adebanjo and Fasonranti. The split came with the 2023 presidential election based on whether or not to support enlightened self interest of nation-building based on egalitarianism and justice, prescribed by the rotational presidency to regions. Though initiated by Pa Fasonranti before retiring, he changed his mind and came out of retirement to support tribal loyalty, which some labelled prebendalism. With the new administration’s performance on a serious discourse, the Pa Adebanjo faction gained more respect for their unbiased judgement and principled stance, and therefore remains the authentic Afenifere faction to contend with.

Pa Adebanjo is agreed by friends and foes to have been a dogged principled nationalist, a firebrand that feared none in his pursuit of progressive ideals. The question is whether he inspired and groomed the younger generation to continue his dream? With the nonagenarians out of the leadership race, the baton falls to the eighty year rank which includes the Deputy Leader HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan, a seasoned politician since the days of Jakande and minority leader representing in the National Assembly. The other Eighty year olds include Madam Senator Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele, Afenifere’s matriarch.

Pa Adebanjo is agreed by friends and foes to have been a dogged principled nationalist, a firebrand that feared none in his pursuit of progressive ideals. The question is whether he inspired and groomed the younger generation to continue his dream? With the nonagenarians out of the leadership race, the baton falls to the eighty year rank which includes the Deputy Leader HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan, a seasoned politician since the days of Jakande and minority leader representing in the National Assembly. The other Eighty year olds include Madam Senator Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele, Afenifere’s matriarch.

Based on the rotational leadership between Ogun, Lagos and Oyo states on one side, and Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, that made Fasonranti become leader ahead of Chiefs Adebanjo and Olaniwun Ajayi, with the passing of Chief Adebanjo, the diplomatic and benevolent HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan, an Osun indegene, is well positioned to takeover, being the current Deputy Leader. The post of the deputy Leader, once HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan advances to the leadership, falls either to someone in their Eighties or to their next generation of the Seventy year olds from the Lagos/Ogun/Oyo axis which include Prince Supo Shonibare, the Chairman of an SDP faction, Prof Akin Onigbinde a Political philosopher, Dr Fapounda, Engineer Adenekan, Tola Mobolurin, a bank chairman etc. Then we have the sixty year olds like Chief Sola Ebiseni, Bashorun Segun Sanni, Chief Mrs Toyin Falade, Balogun Akin Osuntokun, Rev Goke Omigbodun, and many others. Afenifere is assured of long term sustainability as long as it keeps to its succession plans that mixes Yoruba and Western ideals, preventing instability at the top that could be caused by moneybagb or overambitious politicians.

Following the death of his protege Yinka Odumakin, Pa Adebanjo double his efforts in his last years to ensure he attracted the youngest cadre of principled well educated younger men into posts to guide the organization for a long time to come. For General Secretary, Adebanjo recruited the firebrand Barrister Sola Ebiseni, a seasoned political activist and politician since his Twenties, a member of 2014 Confab and strong restructuring proponent. For National Publicity Secretary, he appointed Prince Justice Faloye of Adulawo Media, a firebrand Economist and cultural activist, President of ASHE Foundation think tank involving all South and Middlebelt cultural custodians led by Ooni of Ife Oba Ogunwusi. A few weeks before boarding his flight to meet Chief Awolowo, he appointed Barr Dele Farotimi, the leading firebrand of his generation as Organizing Secretary. Mission accomplished!

With HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan, a diplomatic leader at the helm to smoothen the edges during these turbulent times, with the trio of Ebiseni, Faloye and Farotimi, the common man voice has been amplified several times over. In addition to the firebrand EXCO that also includes the indefatigable Mrs Toyin Falade as Welfare Secretary, Afenifere has an army of passionate principled members not only across Yorubaland and Nigeria, but abroad in places like United Kingdom with the likes of Dr Seun Kolade, Seyi Adefisan and many others. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivor was also one of the young men nurtured by Pa Adebanjo to stand for Lagos State Governor, a post that he had nurtured Tinubu into in 1999. It can be said that Adebanjo that supported Tinubu into political relevance, rectified the mistake with a new generation of true nationalists.

With its ever growing ranks of thousands if not millions of Afenifere, President Tinubu and successive administrations will not be allowed to rest until Afenifere sees the nation is politically restructured for equity and justice, and most importantly implements the Welfarism definition of Afenifere abundance for all. The Action Group progenitors might be dying out, but are being replaced with a new and improved Action Group Pro Max. With Ebiseni and Farotimi bombastic legalistic agitation against the political and judicial systems coupled with Faloye economic and cultural revolutionary ideals, the days of political and economic injustices are numbered. Adebanjo surely gave birth to a new generation of lions guided by the steady hands of HRH Olaitan and other elders statemen.

Olusegun .R. Babalola is an architect, ASHE civilizational philosopher https://obalufonics.com and Afenifere member.