The endorsement of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 election by the Afenifere, a Yoruba sociocultural Organisation was faulted by Atiku camp of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The observation was made by Dr. Daniel Bwala, the Presidential Spokesman for the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation, pointing out that the absence of Adebanjo and others indicated that the endorsement was flawed.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu received Afenifere support during a meeting with the organization’s leaders at Fasoranti’s residence in Akure, the Ondo State.capital.
But some elite Afenifere members l including Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Sola Ebiseni, were not present at the meeting.
.Dr Bwala also criticised the Afenifere leaders for not inviting other presidential candidates of other political parties but only Tinubu to an event where they could have hosted front-runner candidates and heard about their plans for the nation.
“Tinubu paid a strange visit to Pa Fatoramti in what appeared to be a rat crawling at night to grab meat from the pot. It was strange because it was not an organised setting for the regularly scheduled meeting of the highly respected Afenifere; it goes without saying that the group’s leader, Pa Adebanjo, and its secretary were obviously absent when he went off in a Gestapo manner.
“To begin with, the Afenifere we know has made it clear who they support through their leader, and it is not Tinubu. Second, if it was a meeting to find the best candidate to support or endorse, it should have invited the leading candidates to hear their thoughts on what plans they have for the country that will benefit Afenifere,” Bwala said.
