The Afenifere has suspended two of its principal officers for issuing unauthorised statements in the name of the group and constant denigration of the organisation.

The affected officers of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation are the National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, and National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu.

Messrs Ajayi and Omololu were suspended via a communique issued after a meeting held in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, the country home of its leader, Ayo Adebanjo, on Tuesday evening.

“The meeting observed the uncouth activities and unauthorised statements in its name and to the constant denigration of the organisation, by Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary, and Abagun Kole Omololu the National Organising Committee.

“After due consideration of the unending embarrassing conduct of the two officers, the Meeting resolved that they be and are hereby removed immediately from their respective offices and their membership be suspended sine die pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee,” an excerpt of the communique signed by Mr Adebanjo and Sola Ebiseni, Secretary General of the group and obtained by Peoples Gazette read.

Recall that Mr Omololu had recently issued a statement to warn Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Council of Elders, over a comment purportedly said to have ridiculed the Yoruba ethnic group.

His statement followed a viral report alleging that Mr Iwuanyanwu referred to the Yorubas as “political rascals”, the aftermath of the Lagos governorship election.

However, the report has long been described as false and fabricated to further stoak ethnic tension between the Yorubas and Igbos in the country.

Positing further in the communique, the Afenifere leader said he had never authorised any statement against Mr Iwuanyanwu on behalf of the apex Yoruba group.

“We received a message credited to Chief Emmanuel Iwunayanwu in a viral video alleging indictment of the Yoruba as political rascals on account of ethnic violence deployed by politicians of the ruling party in Lagos State.

“On the analysis of the video and information at the disposal of Afenifere by people at the Anambra State gathering, we are convinced that Chief Iwunayanwun rightly asserted that the Yoruba and Igbo were not at war and truly condemned the shenanigans of some political rascals.

“Flowing from the above, Afenifere state that it never issued any statement and dissociate the Organisation from any such statement against Chief Iwunayanwu,” the communique added.

Meanwhile, Afenifere has again maintained that the February 25 presidential election was fraught with irregularities.

The group particularly noted that the outcome of the poll was not a reflection of the will of the people and was also not in compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act.

“That Afenifere reiterates our position that the Presidential election held on the 25th of February 2023 was characterised by all forms of primitive manipulations and noncompliance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 and the Guidelines and Regulations made pursuant thereto with concomitant legislative force.”

It added that, “the results of the lawful votes at the Presidential election available to the Afenifere through credible sources confirm that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, won the said election and we, thus, support his decision challenging the contrary declaration by the INEC.

“We re-assert that for equity, fairness, national cohesion, and peaceful corporate existence, the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a person of its southern part and specifically the South-East.”

“Condemn in the strongest terms, the campaigns of calumny and acts of ethnic violence deployed by some politicians and their hired criminal gangs in several parts of the federation during the gubernatorial election particularly Lagos State where the election was made to appear like an inter-ethnic war between the Yoruba and Igbo which greatly led to voters’ suppression and other forms of deliberate disenfranchisement through brigandage.”

It, however, also asked outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari to restore the patriotic confidence and hope of the Nigerian people in the continued corporate existence of the federation which will guarantee their safety throughout Nigeria.