BY milcah tanimu
The Afenifere, a Yoruba Socio-cultural group, has written a letter to the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), denying the authenticity of a statement previously attributed to the organization.
An article published in a national newspaper on Tuesday claimed to contain a statement signed by Abagun Kole Omololu, the purported Organizing Secretary of Afenifere. The statement accused the Ogun APC of insulting Otunba Gbenga Daniel and even issued a warning to the party.
In response, Afenifere, through its Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, sent a letter directly to the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the Ogun APC. The letter clarified that the position of Organizing Secretary was vacant, indicating that such a letter could not have originated from the office.
Furthermore, the letter emphasized that even if the office were occupied, it is not within its responsibilities to speak on behalf of the organization. Afenifere stated that, according to its principles, it neither takes sides nor engages in political theatrics.
The letter from Afenifere stated, “Regarding your letter dated 27th June 2023 concerning the alleged misunderstanding between Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Governor of Ogun State and current Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, and His Excellency, Dapo Abiodun, Governor of the State, please be informed that Afenifere is unaware of any such misunderstanding between these two prominent Yoruba figures.”
“In the event of any such occurrence, which is not unusual, Afenifere has a well-established Yoruba modus operandi for productive intervention, which includes refraining from taking sides or engaging in political theatrics.”
“The statement attributed to Afenifere was not made by the organization, and we are completely surprised that, based on your position, you may not be aware that the office of the National Organizing Secretary of Afenifere is vacant. The previous occupant was dismissed, and his membership was suspended as disciplinary measures for making unauthorized and embarrassing public statements. The media is also aware of this development.”
“Additionally, you may wish to know that it is not within the scope of responsibilities of the National Organizing Secretary to speak on behalf of Afenifere in public communications,” the statement concluded.