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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has said the in-house reorganisation embarked upon by Afenifere was an “efficient and diplomatic move for in- house restructuring.”
The council, in a statement isssued on Tuesday by its secretary-general, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, said the decision was taken after a very long period of rapprochement, which was totally rebuffed by a party in the crisis within the Yoruba socio-political organisation.
YCE said it found the imbroglio in Afenifere unfortunate, and recalled the unsuccessful efforts it made to wade in and secure a mutual reconciliation.
It expressed hope that the reorganisation, which abrogated the positions of Deputy Leader and Acting Leader, would permanently solve the problem.
“We of the Yoruba Council of Elders find the existing imbroglio in the Afenifere quite unfortunate.
“It is a fact that we read of the unfolding event on pages of the Nigerian Newspapers early in the Year 2023 and noted the rather unfortunate unease within Afenifere.
“Thereafter, we attempted to mediate as Yoruba Elders (relating with more elderly Papas), we tactfully rose to the occassion with the simple intention to mediate on the one for all & all for one principle. We were determined to broker peace in the Afenifere caucus!
“In view of our set objective, we made deliberate efforts with five different meetings, held four in Ogun State and one in Ondo State. But a side of the parties involved in the matter looked at us (YCE) as intruders. That side tactfully kept us at bay until what should be expected of an incompatible relationship happened at the apex body last week when the Afenifere reshuffled and modified its structure.
“Granted that this is a core base for Awoists, all machinery for reconciliation were tactfully employed and well deployed by the YCE but the party that rebuffed us remained adamant and unyielding.
“It is our sincere hope that the new arrangement in Afenifere will restore peace within the Pan Yoruba group.
“For now the Afenifere strategy stands as an efficient and diplomatic move for in- house restructuring!
“The body needs to stabilise, then move on to achieve its set goals and objectives in a new Nigeria,” the statement read
The abrogation of the two positions affected its erstwhile Acting Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who is generally viewed to have taken some decisions that were unpopular with members of the organisation in the last few years.
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