Afenifere not socio-cultural group, Awolowo created it as a political party, says Osuntokun

Akin Osuntokun, the former director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council, says Obafemi Awolowo, former premier of the defunct western region, formed Afenifere as a political party.

In an interview on Arise Television on Saturday, Osuntokun said Afenifere was not envisioned as a social-cultural group limited to the south-west.

“Afenifere of our own description is not a social political organisation, the ambiguity came when Chief Awolowo started Egbe Omo Oduduwa. He also founded Afenifere, but people tend to confuse the two,” he said.

“Afenifere founded by Awolowo is actually the political arm of any party that Afenifere would join. It is actually a political party.

“That is the conception of the man who started it. In 1963, he made a presidential address and called anybody who associates Afenifere with the Yoruba people a traitor.

“He also said anyone who calls Afenifere a socio-cultural group is a traitor; go and read his presidential address in 1963.

“I keep seeing this: Afenifere is not a social-cultural group. Part of the reason why people get it confused is that during the long interregnum of the military in power, you cannot have a political party, so that was the cover under which the politicians of the left of the centre gathered to talk because effectively it was a political pressure group.”

On January 29, the Reuben Fasoranti-led faction of Afenifere said there is “only one authentic” pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation.

The group’s comment came on the heels of the appointment of Dele Farotimi, a human rights advocate, as the national organising secretary of Afenifere by the Ayo Adebanjo-led faction.