Afenifere, YCE Resolve Differences
To evolve new Yoruba agenda
By Tokunbo Adedoja in Lagos and Ademola Adeyemo in Ibadan
After about three years of operating a parallel relationship, leaders of the two major pan Yoruba socio-political organisations, Afenifere and Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), have resolved to close ranks and work together for the unity and progress of the Yoruba nation.
Apart from resolving to settle their difference and forge a common front, the leaders of the two organisations, who converged on Ibadan yesterday also resolved to evolve a new "Yoruba agenda".
The meeting, which started at about 11am, at the Ibadan residence of the YCE President, Pa Emmanuel Alayande, had in attendance the acting leader of Afenifere, Chief Reuben Faso-ranti, who was accompanied by Chief Olu Falae, Chief Wumi Adegbomire, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu, Mr. Yinka Odumakin and Mr. Jimi Agbaje.
Also in attendance were key members of the YCE including, Pa Alayande, Maj-Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd), Dr. Kunle Olajide and Chief Richard Akinjide.
Others at the meeting include Prof. Jacob Ade-Ajayi, Prof. Toun Ogunseye, Prof. A Oyediran, Chief Tunji Otegbeye, Chief Deinde Arogbola, Sir Kola Adegbola and Dr. Dejo Raimi, amongst others.
Though, the meeting was held behind close door, a communiqu� jointly signed by the Secretary General of YCE, Olajide and Afenifere's Administrative Secretary, Odumakin, however, described discussions at the meeting as "cordial, frank and friendly".
The meeting resolved as follows:
That the acrimony of the past be buried for the unity and progress of Yorubaland;
that the two organisations should work together henceforth for the progress of Yorubaland: to this effect, a committee of the two bodies has been approved and members to be nominated within two weeks and a proposal on Yoruba agenda to be drawn by the joint body;
that the next meeting should be enlarged to include other critical leaders of the Yoruba organisations; and
_ that both sides reviewed the meeting and concluded that a new chapter has been opened in Yoruba socio-political landscape.
Expressing delight at the outcome of the meeting, Fasoranti described it as historic and the "beginning of changes in Yorubaland".
Noting that talks are still on-going, the Afenifere chieftain said that the two groups will not only continue to meet on a regular basis, but have also resolved to work together to defend what he called the "Yoruba agenda".
"The significance of the meeting is that the YCE and Afenifere have decided to work closer together than before for the welfare of the Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole.
"In the past, we were working as parallel organisations and now we think it is time we came together and discuss what joins us together and what separates us", he stated.
Describing the meeting as a new vista in the unity of the Yoruba nation, Alayande said "it was highly successful. We had good deliberations and it would be sustained. We have always been together and we shall continue as brothers. I am particularly impressed that the leadership(Afenifere) made good their word to come here".
Akinjide, on his part, described the meeting as a gathering of " two brothers. Afenifere is a political party and YCE is not. What we have had here today is a family meeting of Yoruba. It is for the unity of Yoruba and it is good for Yorubaland".
YCE came into being about three years ago, with the active support of the former Minister of Justice, the late Chief Bola Ige, who had a strained relationship with the leadership of Afenifere as a result of the aftermath of the 1999 presidential primaries of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
In that primaries held to choose the presidential flagbearer of AD from the South-west, leaders of Afenifere voted for the emergence of Falae against Ige, who was the deputy leader of the pan Yoruba organisation.
Ige eventually secured a slot in the cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo led federal government and consequently floated the YCE as a parallel socio-political organisation in the South-west.
Until YCE came into being, Afenifere was the sole mouth-piece of the Yoruba people.
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