By Francis Ojo
The word ‘wish’ intruded into my thoughts yesterday after reading the most recent communique of the Chief Ayo Adebanjo branch of Afenifere.
Militant in tone, combative in language and adversarial and insensitive to the feelings of the Yoruba they pretend to lead, the elderly Chief and the cohort of followers he leads maintain a posture more bonded to the Obidient movement and a language even more insultive than that adopted by Chief Emmanuel Iwunanyanwu describing the Yoruba as rascals..
The summary claims that Peter Obi won the Presidency and remains their ‘President’ in contrast to the legally elected President Ashiwaju Tinubu.
They went further to sack two of their officers who appear to hold a different view.
That word ‘wish’ is an expression of regret for a desire unmet. For, how I wish Obafemi Awolowo was alive and looking at the tarnish on his legacy in the Isoyin home of Chief Ayo Adebanjo. But Awo is not alive and will never come back. How I wish Chief Ayo Adebanjo, a Yoruba revered elder is an Igbo respected leader. He would be a hero no doubt among them and would not suffer the silent abuse the average Yoruba throws at him nowadays. For all his service to Ndigbo and disdain for Yoruba and their interest and sentiments, he is not and can never be Igbo. How I wish all these are not happening amidst the current tension pulling the Yoruba and Igbo away from the fulcrum of their equilibrium. For it takes a trusted elder to talk sense to both camps. But Chief Adebanjo is no longer trusted by one of the parties, the Yoruba. But all these are wishes. Wishful thinking.
I had asked myself at the time of his hospitalization, what the fate of Afenifere would be if Yinka should transit. And when he finally left to fly with angels in heaven, I pondered and fretted at the thought of the vacuum that would make comfortable breathing difficult for Afenifere. Who would be trusted enough like Yinka by these very old men to share company, advice and communion among their new recruits? I worried.
Let us be kind to Chief Ayo Adebanjo. He is a very old man and at that age, biologically, not everything is in preferred place and few organic resources are in good shape. At 96, God has been unusually kind to him, and I believe because his purpose is still ongoing, not fully finished, we need to be careful how we handle his matter. We should be sympathetic because those trying to use him, opportunists like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and politicians feeling left out of the banquet do not carry the kind of burden of expectation as he does.
Baba is entitled to hold an opinion of a personal nature. He is, after all, like every one of us, entitled to his sentiments, sympathetic to his favorite politicians and perhaps can see what many of us are not exposed to. But that stands only if he would be kind and bold enough to speak for himself and not for a respected brand like Afenifere. I wish Baba’s sentiment was manageable enough for him to remain true to his avowed loyalty to causes of the Yoruba.
One would wish he pursued his personal interests in the dark hours of the night long before daybreak and out of sight of his admirers. For he should not be seen displaying his arthritic pains on a campaign rostrum, carried helplessly around by excited young Igbo men gladly parading him around like an effigy. Baba is far too respected for that comedy sketch.
Having said all these, let me tell you what makes me feel very disappointed, sad and angry with the young men who have since enveloped Baba since the departure of Yinka Odumakin. These people have a lifetime of political future ahead of them in this land. Should they not be guided, careful and circumspect in their dealing and association with sentiments of a nauseous nature to their political constituency?
That brand, Afenifere, belongs to the Yoruba to be kept safe, cherished and polished carefully to be brought out only on two occasions. One, when the Yoruba is once again in trouble and needs some object of unification. Second, when the Yoruba wants to celebrate success and appreciate the Almighty. Coincidentally, these two conditions converge today. The race is in a face-off with the Ndigbo, so need a united front and they have won the Nigerian Presidency and as such, the time for celebration is nigh.
For, like we all agree, Afenifere was a powerful, successful and trusted brand created by Awolowo, a deity in the pantheon of Yoruba Orishas, and upheld with dignity and class by previous successors like Michael Ajasin, Abraham Adesanya and Reuben Fashoranti.
Awolowo’s image is the logo on that brand. And all those who have been privileged to handle it have carefully cleaned, polished and preserved the crest without stain. The tragedy today is that Afenifere is stained and the blemish may be too deep to wash away by future successors.
Afenifere is so blemished that the mention of that product elicits sniggering glances and embarrassing frowns from the average Yoruba.
Chief Adebanjo has driven Afenifere into a deep canyon. But I am angry with Akure and those who surround Chief Reuben Fashoranti for being too docile, cowardly, and weak to take this steering wheel from Baba Adebanjo. The old man has served his time, should be quietly and carefully guided home and pacified to watch politics from flat screen television in his palour.
In my eulogy to Yinka Odumakin written before his burial in April 2021, I had some warning for Afenifere. I have lifted a section from that eulogy below to demonstrate that what is happening today had been accurately foreseen and roughly foretold. May God Almighty spare the elders and give them sufficient time to do the right thing and make the proper corrections for the recovery of that brand.
(Irohin Oodua)
