Think Yoruba First (TYF) has demanded an immediate clarification from the Ondo State Government over the reference to Chief Sola Ebiseni as the Secretary-General of Afenifere in an official communication following his meeting with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
TYF said it had no objection to Ebiseni making his political choice, leaving the Labour Party or joining the All Progressives Congress, stressing that its concern was the description of his position within Afenifere by an official arm of the state government.
The group noted that Governor Aiyedatiwa had recently participated in the public celebration of the centenary of Chief Reuben Fasoranti, CFR, where Afenifere leaders and prominent Yoruba stakeholders were present. TYF said the subsequent reference to Ebiseni as Secretary-General in an official government communication therefore requires clarification.
TYF is asking the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary or the appropriate authority to state whether the Ondo State Government formally recognises Ebiseni as the Secretary-General of Afenifere, whether the reference was deliberate or an oversight, and whether the government has received any formal communication from Afenifere regarding the status of its Secretary-General.
The organisation also wants the government to clarify whether the Governor’s statement was intended to amount to official recognition of any particular faction, claimant or representation in the longstanding leadership questions surrounding Afenifere.
TYF stressed that Governor Aiyedatiwa is free to receive and engage with any Nigerian or political actor, but said government communication should be precise when referring to the leadership of a historic Yoruba socio-cultural institution.
The group said the Governor should not be seen as taking sides in an internal organisational matter, adding that such issues should be resolved through Afenifere’s established processes.
TYF has consequently called on Governor Aiyedatiwa and the Ondo State Government to publicly clarify the matter without delay, stating that if the reference was an error, it should be corrected, while any deliberate recognition should be properly explained.