… Calls on President Tinubu to resolve the crisis in LG councils
Osun State chapter of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has resolved to expel Oba Oladipo Olaitan from its fold.
The resolution was made at a meeting recently held in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Members of the state chapter, at the meeting, deliberated on various activities and utterances of the monarch in recent times and concluded that he is no longer fit to continue to be a member of the organization.
The meeting was held at the Mokola street home in Ile-Ife of Barrister Lanre Omisore, a national officer of Afenifere and one of the organization’s leaders in Osun State.
Olaitan hails from Kajola, a community near Ilesa, Osun State and is currently the traditional ruler of the place. Going by his state of origin and by choice, he belongs to the Osun State chapter of the body, although he lives mostly in Lagos. It was by virtue of his being a member that necessitated the action taken by the state’s chapter of the organization. Following the death of Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Olaitan announced his election first as Acting Leader and then Leader of Afenifere.
It would be recalled that The Leader of the body, Chief Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, OFR, in 2021, appointed Chief Adebanjo as Acting Leader while he appointed Oba Olaitan as Deputy Leader.
But for certain reasons, some of which were made public, Fasoranti, early in 2024, abrogated the two offices, i.e. Acting Leader and Deputy Leader. Some of the reasons stated then were that Adebanjo, since assuming that office, has deviated from the norms and practices of the pan-Yoruba organization. And that he refused to change despite various efforts made to make him toe the right path. Since the proclamation by Fasoranti as The Leader, the two offices ceased to exist.
It is on record however that Chief Adebanjo and Oba Olaitan defied Afenifere leader by continuing to go around with the titles. This was the situation until Adebanjo passed away. It was on the wake of Adebanjo’s death that Olaitan pronounced himself as the new Leader of Afenifere.
But, according to the Osun State chapter of the organization, Olaitan’s conduct “is against the norm and practice of Afenifere” hence the need to wield the big stick. In Afenifere, there can only be one Leader at any one time. And no leader is appointed until the demise of the incumbent. Osun Afenifere insisted that Fasoranti is still the leader, as such, there is no vacancy in that office.
Other infractions listed against the monarch included what was dubbed as an unauthorized meeting “held by Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Alaago of Kajola Ijesa in Atakumosa local government in Osun State” where he “appointed himself as the purported leader of Afenifere” which “is clearly a violation of Afenifere norms and practices “.
The chapter considered it is an act of “gross indiscipline and grave disloyalty to the leader of Afenifere and the general Afenifere leadership”.
It also cited the recent call by Oba Oladipo Olaitan on the National Assembly to impeach President Ahmed Bola Tinubu over the construction of Lagos – Calabar Coastal highway as one other reason necessitating his expulsion.
For these reasons, the entire Afenifere members in Osun State hereby resolved to expel Oba Olaitan and are recommending the ratification of the excommunication to the national body, the Communique read.
Afenifere Osun also called on President Bola Tinubu to wade into the crisis rocking Osun State over the leadership of local government offices in the state to enable the third tier of government to deliver the much-needed dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun State.
