2019: Obasanjo In Closed-Door Meeting With Afenifere Leader

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the purpose of his visit to the leader of Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, Ondo State capital was to “only come to greet him not for any other reasons .

Former Olusegun Obasanjo Visits Afenifere Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti 

The surprise visit, which is first of its kind to the group after 15 years of political estrangement, where he was received by other chieftains of the party around 3:05pm.

After a closed indoor meeting that lasted about 40 minutes, Obasanjo, in his usual jovial style, said he had “only come to greet my father.”

Obasanjo who dismissed further probes on whether the meeting had any political intention and the “why-now” question, saying “can a son not come to see his father any time he wishes? Do I have to take permission from you before seeing my father? And how does that become your concern?”

But the Leader of Afenifere, Pa Fasoranti who was flanked by other leaders of the group like Chief Seinde Arogbofa, the Secretary General of the Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni, Kole Omololu, Chief Femi Aliko among others, described it as a good reunion.

“He (Obasanjo) said he has come to pay courtesy visit, saying he appreciates all my efforts about Nigeria particularly the Yoruba nation. He has come now because he values my friendship.”

While fielding questions from journalists if the former President discussed 2019 general elections, Fasoranti said, “No,” adding that that the primordial hostility between Obasanjo and the Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation “is over now.”

Whereas, he declared that Afenifere supports the letters written to President Muhammadu Buhari to protest the indiscriminate killing of Nigerians, herdsmen menace, sectional fight against corruption and other excesses of the Federal Government.

“We are in full support. We are dissatisfied with the mode of governance, we are dissatisfied,” he said, however, pointing out that they didn’t discuss the ADC though was also in support of a mega party to dislodge APC in 2019 elections.

On the possible merger among SDP, PDP and ADC ahead of the mega party, he enthused that “it is the joy of everybody if formidable teams can unite against the evil government that we have there now.

“Look at the killings in the north, the President is very very silent about it. And they are his people, and we are all Nigerians, that is bad enough.”