Following last weekend’s resignation of Pa Reuben Fasoranti as the leader of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, some members of the organization were on Monday prevented from seeing the elder statesman at his private residence in Akure.
The visiting leaders were said to have arrived at the Ondo state capital residence of Pa Fasoranti on Omolere Street on the Ado/Owo road, but were stunned when his aides refused them entry into the compound.
They said the behavior of the aides indicated that they were working under instructions which might have been handed over to them by the foremost Yoruba leader.
Pa Fasoranti tendered his resignation letter at the weekend, citing disunity among members of the group despite efforts to harmonize them to maintain their place as the voice of the people of the South West.
SaharaReporters gathered that the visiting leaders were annoyed by the abrupt exit of Pa Fasoranti from the group, and had decided to pay him a visit only to be disappointed with the brick wall they met at the point of entry.
Several calls made to the official phone numbers of the elder statesman at his compound but the numbers were found to have been disconnected, prompting the visitors to leave in confusion, wondering if the old man was deliberately snubbing them.
A source had in the morning hinted SaharaReporters about a meeting by some factional leaders of the group in a secluded area of the state to discuss the way forward over the resignation of Pa Fasoranti.
The source said it was agreed that some leaders of the group summon an emergency meeting to deliberate on a position over the unfavorable action of the Yoruba elder.
“The meeting might likely hold this week, and the outcome would be made public”, he told SaharaReporters.
A resident of Pa Fasoranti’s street told our correspondent that the leaders who came in droves had to make a U-turn when aides to the elder statesman told them the old man was resting in his private living room.
“The private security guard manning Baba’s gate had already opened it for some members but an aide who was inside the building immediately came out and told them that the old man was resting and could not attend to anyone,” the resident said.
SaharaReporters further gathered that two prominent leaders of the group, Olu Falae and Seinde Arogbofa had expressed shock at the resignation letter of Pa Fasoranti because the elder statesman never discussed his action with them.
“Baba Falae and Arogbofa were not really happy at such resignation,” the source said. “Both leaders complained that the old man did not pre-inform them despite their closeness even outside the business of Afenifere as a group. I noticed with my interaction with the duo; they seem not to understand what Pa Fasoranti meant by the disloyalty among the members of the organization.”
However, Yinka Odumakin, who is the spokesperson for the group, said all was well with the organization as its members would be meeting very soon, adding that there were however some internal matters to be sorted out.
“We have concluded plans to summon a meeting,” Odumaking said. “And I believe nothing is beyond our control although we have some internal things to sort out within our midst.”
