Afenifere suspends two principal officers, says it didn’t authorize statement against Iwuanyanwu

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has suspended two principal officers over “uncouth activities and unauthorised” statements issued in the name of the organisation tackling a South-East leader, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, over a statement credited to him referring to the group as political rascals.

The group on Tuesday suspended the National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, and the National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu.

The announcement was made in a communique jointly signed by the group’s leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Mr Sola Ebiseni, the Secretary General of Afenifere and issued after a meeting held in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, the country home of its leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

The apex Yoruba group, in the communique, maintained that the Presidential election held on February 25, 2023, in the country was fraught with irregularities, saying the outcome of the polls was not a reflection of the will of the people and not in compliance with the Electoral Act.

“After due consideration of the unending embarrassing conduct of the two officers, the Meeting resolved that they be and are hereby removed immediately from their respective offices and their membership be suspended sine die pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee,” the communique read.

Speaking on the statement credited to Iwuanyanwu, the apex Yoruba group said, “We received a message credited to Chief Emmanuel Iwunayanwu in a viral video alleging indictment of the Yoruba as political rascals on account of ethnic violence deployed by politicians of the ruling party in Lagos State.

“On the analysis of the video and information at the disposal of Afenifere by people at the Anambra State gathering, we are convinced that Chief Iwunayanwun rightly asserted that the Yoruba and Igbo were not at war and truly condemned the shenanigans of some political rascals.

“Flowing from the above, Afenifere states that it never issued any statement and dissociate the Organisation from any such statement against Chief Iwunayanwu.”

The group, however, maintained that the Presidential election held on February 25, 2023, in the country was fraught with irregularities, saying the outcome of the polls is not a reflection of the will of the people and not in compliance with the Electoral Act.

“That Afenifere reiterates our position that the Presidential election held on the 25th of February 2023 was characterised by all forms of primitive manipulations and noncompliance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 and the Guidelines and Regulations made pursuant thereto with concomitant legislative force.

“Reiterate 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 and we, thus, support his decision challenging the contrary declaration by the INEC.

“We re-assert that for equity, fairness, national cohesion, and peaceful corporate existence, the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a person of its southern part and specifically the South-East.”

“Condemn in the strongest terms, the campaigns of calumny and acts of ethnic violence deployed by some politicians and their hired criminal gangs in several parts of the federation during the gubernatorial election particularly Lagos State where the election was made to appear like an inter-ethnic war between the Yoruba and Igbo which greatly led to voters’ suppression and other forms of deliberate disenfranchisement through brigandage,” the statement added.

Recall that a statement was earlier issued by the suspended National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu asking Ohanaeze Ndigbo to call Iwuanyanwu to order and should stop insulting the Yorubas.

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