Daily Independent Online.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2004.
Adesina faults Afenifere’s
recognition of Akinfenwa’s AD
By Sola Shittu,
Reporter, Ibadan
A former Governor
of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, has faulted Afenifere’s
recognition of Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa as the authentic chairman of the
Alliance for Democracy, describing it as a very serious fundamental mistake.
Adesina, who stated
this in an interview at his Felele home in Ibadan questioned the rationale for Afenifere’s decision,
which was taken at the Akure home of the Acting Chairman of the pan Yoruba
socio-cultural group, Chief Reuben Fasoranti.
Adesina maintained
his position that a fresh convention to allow the two contenders test their
popularity among members of the party should be conducted.
“I think
Afenifere made a very serious fundamental mistake this time around. They should
not have dabbled into the feud between Akinfenwa and Bisi Akande. It was late;
I mean it is a belated effort honestly. It’s like they are now causing
further confusion. I don’t think Afenifere should have done that,”
he said.
He said Afenifere
has been warned at Ijebu-Igbo meeting to hands off from the AD crisis having
made several attempts that were rebuffed by the two factions.
The former governor
was of the belief that if such decision would be taken at all, it should not be
in the home of the acting chairman when the chairman was still alive.
“How come
such an important decision had to be taken out of Akure? Papa Adesanya is still
alive; Papa Fasoranti is just an acting chairman. Such serious matter would
have better been discussed either in Ijebu-Igbo or Papa Adesanya’s
residence at Apapa, Lagos. Why should they take such a matter to Akure?”
queried Lam.
He explained
further that he had never seen a time when Papa Ajasin was alive and a meeting
was held outside Owo.
Adesina explained
that he had told the Afenifere leaders to apply the wisdom of the late sage,
Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in settling dispute.
He cited the
example of the dispute between the late Busari Adelakun and Pa Emmanuel
Alayande over Ibadan division, which Awolowo handed off because of the attitude
of the late Adelakun.
The ex-governor
said since Akande and Akinfenwa have gone to court against all entreaties,
Afenifere should have pulled “its weight behind a new convention rather
than pulling the whole house down.”
