By Banji Ayoola
For the first time in 20 years, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday visited the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti in his Akure, Ondo State capital country home, signalling the beginning of a chummy relationship likely to accelerate the tempo of the campaign for a restructuring of Nigeria into a balanced federation.
For years, Afenifere, pushing the Yoruba Agenda which zero in on rebuilding the Country on the principle of justice, fairness and equity to all the component ethnic groups, and meeting with several groups, dissatisfied with the prevailing skewed structure, cutting across ethnic frontiers, who are in the majority, has been a major rallying point for the popular call for a rework of the Country.
It was in the forefront as the arrow head of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, the flagship of the pro democracy struggles, which eventually culminated in the forced demilitarisation of the country\’s leadership, and transfer of power to a civilian administration headed by Obasanjo in 1999.
On his own, Obasanjo, noted for his passionate stance on protecting and promoting the unity of Nigeria, even with the last pint of his blood, has for years distanced himself from anything which does not strongly believe would serve the overall interest of keeping Nigeria united, a goal for which he is prepared to lay down his life.
However, with the historic visit, there seems to be a new understanding, following a perceived rigorous reassessment of positions, culminating into the rapport between the former President, held in high opinion for his strong position on issues, particularly for his long held stance that Nigeria\’s unity is non negotiable, and Afenifere.
Concern over the unsettling security situation in the country, typified by senseless killings by Boko Haram insurgents, frequent bloody clashes between armed herders leading into killings, and kidnappings of school girls among other challenges, and how to solve these challenges, seem to have compelled both sides to draw closer to one another.
And with the 2019 general elections drawing closer, both Obasanjo who has been mobilising groups to take over political power from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, both of which he sees as two sides of the same coin, which have allegedly failed Nigeria, and the Afenifere, which has sympathy for the Social Democratic Party, SDP, because of its welfare programmes, drawn from the legacy of the legendary Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and which is increasingly gaining reckoning in the political circles as another alternative, appear now to be on the same page.
The new relationship opened with the visit some weeks ago to Obasanjo in his Abeokuta home by the SDP National Chairman and a forefront leader of Afenifere, Chief Olu Falae. Notably, Falae, sponsored by Afenifere and supported by the Yoruba, contested the 1999 Presidential Election against Obasanjo.
For his historic visit to Afenifere leader, Obasanjo was accompanied by his close ally, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe and another associate, Mr Ayo Osuntokun.
In his speech at a meeting with Fasoranti, Obasanjo said it is a must to rescue the country from the hands of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), led Federal Government come 2019.
Obasanjo who was visiting Afenifere for the first time in 20 years, said he was in Akure, the Ondo state capital to pay homage to the leader of the the group, Fasoranti.
He commended Afenifere for standing by their belief, saying “you have been talking about the interest of Yoruba, while I have been talking about the interest of Nigeria. Our paths crossed. Our priority is now one. If we did not repair this country, it will be disastrous.”
Again, Obasanjo lamented the pervasive insecurity in Nigeria.
He recalled how he was rejected by the group while seeking their support in the past, saying: ” I remember visiting Pa Abraham Adesanya thrice in Lagos before the election and I was asked to join Afenifere and Alliance for Democracy (AD) then, but I told them that AD was cul-de-sac.
“Pa Abraham told me if I join, things would-be change but I refused to join them. I went back the second time but they refused to work for my emergence.
“I went there again the third time but Afenifere maintained their stand, they refused to vote for me but I secured my votes outside Yorubaland, though they supported me in 2003 for my re-election”.
In his own speech, Fasoranti commended Obasanjo for his efforts at building a better country.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in the country, noting that the country is not being run properly.
According to him “we are in full support of all the letters written by Obasanjo to President Muhamadu Buhari on the state of the nation. We are dissatisfied with the state of affairs in the country. The country is not being run properly.”
Fasoranti said Afenifere is in support of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and ADC.
He said “It will be the joy of everybody to present a formidable team to confront the evil government that is there now.”
Present at the meeting were Basorun Sehinde Arogbofa, Kole Omololu, Sola Ebiseni , Chief Akin Omosebi , Femi Aluko among others.
