Two national officers of Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation in the South-West geo-political zone, have been suspended for their ’embarrassing conduct.’
The suspension of Jare Ajayi, the national publicity secretary, and Abagun Kole Omololu, national organising secretary was announced on Tuesday after the monthly general meeting of the group.
Backstory
The duo recently issued a statement condemning the outburst of Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the chairman of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, who was said to have described the Yoruba race as political rascals over the continuous attacks on Igbos in Lagos State, a remark that earned him backlash on social media.
Mr Iwuanyanwu and his group thereafter separately issued disclaimers, saying the remarks attributed to him were fake and misrepresented.
However, in communiqué signed by Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere leader, and Sola Ebiseni, secretary-general, the Yoruba association distanced itself from the attack its officers heaped on Mr Iwuanyanwu.
“We condemn in the strongest terms, the campaigns of calumny and acts of ethnic violence deployed by some politicians and their hired criminal gangs in several parts of the federation during the gubernatorial election, particularly Lagos state where the election was made to appear like an inter-ethnic war between the Yoruba and Igbo which greatly led to voters’ suppression and other forms of deliberate disenfranchisement through brigandage,” the communiqué reads.
“We received a message credited to Chief Emmanuel Iwunayanwun in a viral video alleging indictment of the Yoruba as political rascals on account of ethnic violence deployed by politicians of the ruling party in Lagos State.
“On the analysis of the video and information at the disposal of Afenifere by people at the Anambra State gathering, we are convinced that Chief Iwunayanwun rightly asserted that the Yoruba and Igbo were not at war and truly condemned the shenanigans of some political rascals.
“Flowing from the above, Afenifere state that it never issued any statement and dissociate the organisation from any such statement against Chief Iwunayanwun.
“We observed the uncouth activities and unauthorised statements in its name and the constant denigration of the organisation, by Jare Ajayi, the national publicity secretary, and Abagun Kole Omololu, the national organising secretary.
“After due consideration of the unending embarrassing conduct of the two officers, the meeting resolved that they be and are hereby removed immediately from their respective offices and their membership be suspended sine die pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the disciplinary committee.”
