Afenifere
Encyclopedia
Afenifere was formed as a socio-cultural organization for the Yoruba
people of Nigeria
, with Abraham Adesanya
as its leader and Chief Bola Ige
as deputy leader. Other founding members were Pa Onasanya, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Adegbonmire, Okurounmu Femi, Ganiyu Dawodu
, Olanihun Ajayi, Olu Falae
, Adebayo Adefarati
and Ayo Adebanjo. When the Alliance for Democracy
(AD) political party was formed in 1998, it took the Afenifere agenda as its official manifesto.
Following poor performance in the April 2003 elections, in late 2003 rival factions of the AD held separate conventions. In the Lagos convention, Adebisi Akande
was elected as AD chairman.
In January 2006, the convoy of AD leaders who supported Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa as the party's national chairman was attacked by thugs in Osogbo
, the capital of Osun State
.
In 2008 the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) was formed with the stated intent of reuniting the feuding factions, but perhaps as an alternative to the faction headed by the older generation of leaders.
In November 2008, a faction of Afenifere in Ijebu Igbo
, Ogun State
, led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo, installed Chief Reuben Fasoranti as the new chairman of the group. ARG Leaders including Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye
, Chief Bisi Akande, Wale Oshun and Yinka Odumakin stated that they did not accept move.
In October 2009, a spokesman for the ARG spoke out against plans to deregulate the domestic fuel market.
That month, the ARG hailed the conviction of Chief Bode George
and five others as an important step towards freeing Nigeria of corruption.
Majority of the Yorubas see the pressure group as a legitimate force to serve their best interests as well as maintain the waning influences of the Yorubaland on the Federalism. They consider it as a necessary body to preserve identities of the Yorubas. However, there are some powerful voices among the Yorubas that see the organization as a dangerous group. Responding to some questions by his followers at his London Awqaf Africa College
, Yoruba prominent London-based Muslim Scholar Sheikh Dr. Abu-Abdullah Adelabu described Afenifere
as a bunch of tribalists and self-serving ambitious greedy rivals driven by xenophobia
and deep bigotry, and possessed by delusion of their so-called cultural commonalities. Sheikh Adelabu, who studied a Ph D in Damascus
and founded several institutions, including EsinIslam.com, IslamAfrica.com and the Awqaf Africa Society
in London, said the only logic behind the Yoruba socio-cultural organization is that Afenifere exhibits the very paranoia that has made the Nigerians so hopeless and the Yoruba politicians so careless.
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
people of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, with Abraham Adesanya
Abraham Adesanya
Abraham Aderibigbe Adesanya was a Nigerian politician, lawyer, activist, welfarist, aristocrat and liberal progressive...
as its leader and Chief Bola Ige
Bola Ige
James Ajibola Idowu Ige simply known as Bola Ige was a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He became Federal Minister of Justice for Nigeria...
as deputy leader. Other founding members were Pa Onasanya, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Adegbonmire, Okurounmu Femi, Ganiyu Dawodu
Ganiyu Dawodu
Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu popularly known as G.O.D. in Lagos, was a Nigerian politician and democracy activist. He was a leading member of the National Democratic Coalition popularly known as NADECO in Nigeria during the reign of Sani Abacha...
, Olanihun Ajayi, Olu Falae
Olu Falae
Samuel Oluyemisi Falae , simply known as Olu Falae, is a Nigerian politician from Akure, Ondo State. A Yale University-trained banker, he served as the Federal Minister of Finance in the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, Adebayo Adefarati
Adebayo Adefarati
Adebayo Adefarati was a Nigerian politician and a former governor of Ondo State Nigeria.Prior to becoming Governor of Ondo State, Adebayo Adefarati was appointed twice as commissioner under the late Yoruba and Afenifere Leader Pa. Michael Adekunle Ajasin...
and Ayo Adebanjo. When the Alliance for Democracy
Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)
The Alliance for Democracy was a progressive opposition political party in Nigeria. It was formed on September 9th 1998. At the 2003 legislative elections, 12 April 2003, the party won 8.8 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 360 seats in the Nigerian House of Representatives and six out of...
(AD) political party was formed in 1998, it took the Afenifere agenda as its official manifesto.
Following poor performance in the April 2003 elections, in late 2003 rival factions of the AD held separate conventions. In the Lagos convention, Adebisi Akande
Adebisi Akande
Abdukareem Adebisi Bamidele Akande was a governor of Osun State, Nigeria from 1999-2003, as a member of the Alliance for Democracy party, and is Chairman of the Action Congress party.-Background:...
was elected as AD chairman.
In January 2006, the convoy of AD leaders who supported Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa as the party's national chairman was attacked by thugs in Osogbo
Osogbo
Osogbo is a city in Nigeria, the capital of Osun State and a Local Government Area.The Local Government Area has an area of 47 km² and a population of 156,694 at the 2006 census; the postal code of the area is 230.-Infrastructure and demographics:Osogbo lies on the railway line from Lagos to...
, the capital of Osun State
Osun State
Ọṣun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was...
.
In 2008 the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) was formed with the stated intent of reuniting the feuding factions, but perhaps as an alternative to the faction headed by the older generation of leaders.
In November 2008, a faction of Afenifere in Ijebu Igbo
Ijebu Igbo
Ijebu Igbo is a town in Ogun State, Nigeria. It is approximately a 15-minute drive north of Ijebu Ode.Ijebu Igbo also written as Ijebu-Igbo , it is the headquarter of Ijebu North Local Government Authority , of Ogun state , Nigeria.Its geographical coordinates are Latitude 6° 58' 0" North, and...
, Ogun State
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in South-western Nigeria. It borders Lagos State to the South, Oyo and Osun states to the North, Ondo State to the east and the republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state...
, led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo, installed Chief Reuben Fasoranti as the new chairman of the group. ARG Leaders including Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye
Olabiyi Durojaiye
Olabiyi Durojaiye was elected Senator for the Ogun East constituency of Ogun State, Nigeria at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic, running on the Alliance for Democracy platform. He took office on 29 May 1999...
, Chief Bisi Akande, Wale Oshun and Yinka Odumakin stated that they did not accept move.
In October 2009, a spokesman for the ARG spoke out against plans to deregulate the domestic fuel market.
That month, the ARG hailed the conviction of Chief Bode George
Bode George
Olabode Ibiyinka George is a Nigerian politician who became Military Governor of Ondo State, and later Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, then national vice-chairman in the southwest zone of the People’s Democratic Party...
and five others as an important step towards freeing Nigeria of corruption.
Majority of the Yorubas see the pressure group as a legitimate force to serve their best interests as well as maintain the waning influences of the Yorubaland on the Federalism. They consider it as a necessary body to preserve identities of the Yorubas. However, there are some powerful voices among the Yorubas that see the organization as a dangerous group. Responding to some questions by his followers at his London Awqaf Africa College
AWQAF Africa Muslim Open College
AWQAF Africa Muslim Open College is an institution of AWQAF Africa's educational department. It was launched in London 2005 to cater for educational needs of the Africans and for people of African origin AWQAF Africa Muslim Open College is an institution of AWQAF Africa's educational department. ...
, Yoruba prominent London-based Muslim Scholar Sheikh Dr. Abu-Abdullah Adelabu described Afenifere
Afenifere
Afenifere was formed as a socio-cultural organization for the Yoruba people of Nigeria, with Abraham Adesanya as its leader and Chief Bola Ige as deputy leader. Other founding members were Pa Onasanya, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Adegbonmire, Okurounmu Femi, Ganiyu Dawodu, Olanihun Ajayi, Olu Falae,...
as a bunch of tribalists and self-serving ambitious greedy rivals driven by xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
and deep bigotry, and possessed by delusion of their so-called cultural commonalities. Sheikh Adelabu, who studied a Ph D in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and founded several institutions, including EsinIslam.com, IslamAfrica.com and the Awqaf Africa Society
AWQAF Africa
AWQAF Africa serves all countries of Africa: South, North, West, East, and other territorial geography of the continent including its islands in the Indian and Atlantic oceans and Mediterranean Sea, as well as the West Indies. Awqaf Africa, from time to time, extends its works to all Muslims...
in London, said the only logic behind the Yoruba socio-cultural organization is that Afenifere exhibits the very paranoia that has made the Nigerians so hopeless and the Yoruba politicians so careless.