BY Samuel Akpan
The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) says the victory of Bola Tinubu, President-elect, should be celebrated by all Nigerians.
In a statement issued by Oladipo Oyewole, its secretary-general, YCE said Tinubu’s victory should be accepted by all having been declared winner of the election.
“In the first instance, Tinubu’s victory is a victory for all of us in the south-west and all of us in Nigeria,” the statement reads.
“Some persons did not want him. But, once the result came out and the Certificate of Return was issued, everything should have been laid to rest.
“Tinubu is a pride to all sons and daughters of the Yoruba and Nigeria generally.”
YCE said Reuben Fasoranti, leader of Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political group, has congratulated Tinubu and that his decision remains the position of the association.
Afenifere, in a communique issued by Sola Ebiseni, its secretary, had rejected Tinubu’s victory, saying Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), won the election conducted on February 25 based on results obtained from “credible sources”.
Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, had backed Obi’s presidential bid, a decision that was rejected by some members of Afenifere, including Fasoranti, the leader of Afenifere.
On March 3, Oyewole said Fasoranti “sent a very warm congratulatory letter, on our behalf and his own (Afenifere), to Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his hard-won victory in the February 25, 2023, presidential election”.
“That was done in line with the well-known Afenifere practice. This is where Afenifere stands: The Oracle Has Acted and Spoken. Any person or group that may see things differently is free to do so as he is free to exercise his liberty,” he said.
FASORANTI’S PRONOUNCEMENT IS FINAL
In a statement issued at the weekend, Seinde Arogbofa, former secretary of Afenifere, said, Fasoranti “is the leader of the apex Yoruba group, and as such, his pronouncement on any issue remains final on behalf of Afenifere.”
“Afenifere is made up of people with sound intellects and strong convictions but occasional divergent views,” the statement reads.
“Chief Dr. R. F. Fasoranti is still alive. By the Afenifere tradition, he is still the leader of Afenifere. We refer to him in line with our cherished Yoruba culture. So whatever any other member says or does after he has spoken or acted is immaterial.
“You will recall that on September 3, 2022, in an interview, I said that some members were foisting Peter Obi as a presidential candidate on us and that Afenifere members were not robots. They are made up of intelligent people with strong convictions but occasional divergent views.
“Notwithstanding that, they are bound together by the welfare philosophy of the association. On any contentious issue, they come together as democrats to discuss and agree on a consensus.
“While the consensus becomes their public stance, those who disagree are still allowed to keep their views without necessarily making them an opposition position to the majority decision.
“I concluded by saying, if elections will hold in 2023, many Afenifere members and, by extension, the right-thinking, accommodating, and unbiased Yoruba ethnic group, who are in the silent majority, will vote for Tinubu.”
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