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November 14, 2022

Tinubu not responsible for Afenifere crisis – Keyamo

Tinubu not responsible for Afenifere crisis – Keyamo

Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo

The spokesperson for the ruling All Progressives Congress campaign council, Festus Keyamo, has said the presidential candidate the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not responsible for the leadership crisis rocking the leadership of Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere.

Keyamo, in a statement, said it will be unfair for anybody to link the visit of Tinubu to leader of the Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti as the reason for the leadership crisis of the Afenifere.

Read also: Punish TV stations over drug trafficking allegations against Tinubu – APC PCC

Recall that Tinubu had visited in his residence in Akure, the Ondo State capital two weeks ago where he received the endorsement of the elder statesman.

The Afenifere’s ‘acting’ leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, had faulted the Tinubu’s visit, saying it was a well-calculated attempt to divide the group.

Adebanjo, who earlier endorsed Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, expressed his  grievance on Channels Television’s Politics Today barely 24 hours after Tinubu’s visit.

He said, “Nothing is going on other than an attempt to split Afenifere to which I will not be a party. It is a sort of conspiracy among those who want to see Afenifere divided.

“They have been on this plan for over a month and my members came to me to alert me about it and I said, ‘Don’t talk about it. It would be a diversion’. All we want now is an election on issues.”

Reacting to the allegation that his principal’s visit was the reason for the group’s crisis, Keyamo, who spoke exclusively to our correspondent said there was no iota of truth in the report.

“The real reason for Afenifere’s wrangling is Pa Adebanjo who rushed to endorse a candidate without proper consultation in the organisation to which he belongs.

“The fact that you are made deputy leader does not make you a dictator. I had listened to him in one of his interviews saying ‘That’s not how we do it’. How do they do it? That one person sits and takes a profound decision like that without talking to anyone or your fellow elders within the same organisation?

“Pa Adebanjo should tell the entire Nigeria who and who he spoke with within Afenifere that gave him the go-ahead to endorse Obi. It is down to just bias and sheer hatred for Asiwaju. That’s all. That was exactly what pushed him to make mistake.”