A faction of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has raised the alarm over what it described as the proliferation of “fake Afenifere splinter groups,” warning that the trend is a calculated attempt to distort its message and mislead Nigerians.
In a statement signed on Monday by its leader, Olaitan Oladipo, and publicity secretary, Justice Faloye, the group alleged that certain interests were sponsoring pseudo-groups to bastardise the Afenifere brand, which has long stood as a symbol of truth, justice, and welfare.
It listed some of the fake Afenifere splinter groups, including the “Afenifere Innovative Group” and the “Afenifere Youth Group.”
The continued production of fake splinter groups of key groups and political parties is a ploy to silence and deceive the masses.
The ploy is to bastardise the Afenifere brand to distort our message since they have not been able to take over our leadership as hoped during the burial of Pa Ayo Adebanjo.
We are suddenly seeing Afenifere Innovative Group, Afenifere Youth Group, etc, showing the proliferation of the Afenifere brand,” he said.
While noting that such emergence of splinter groups dates back to its existence, the Afenifere said it had always outlived such pressures for being a stickler to its key principles of truth, justice, equity and welfarism.
The group warned that such tactics were not new but ultimately short-lived.
These fake Afenifere only last a few election cycles, because regardless of how many fake Afenifere groups are instigated, Afenifere will continue to be sociopolitically relevant and impactful as long as Nigerians stick to our key principles of truth, justice, equity and welfarism.
The production of fake Afenifere groups will fail because the Afenifere brand is publicly known to be a voice for the people and not government apologists.
The truth of the real Afenifere is in its activism for abundance for all, and not to partake in the fleecing of our commonwealth through selfish Prebendalist jobs and contracts.”
Reaffirming its ideological stance, the faction emphasised that it would never support neoliberal economic policies or autocratic governance.
Afenifere, a sociopolitical organisation whose foundations are steeped in social democracy and welfarism, can never support neo-liberal economic policies that have driven tens of millions into poverty nor autocratic governance,” the group stated.
