Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, says its major concern is to focus on the insecurity facing the South-West region and not the ongoing probe of the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Peoples Gazette had exclusively reported that EFCC, in November 2020, requested Mr. Tinubu’s asset declaration documents from the Code of Conduct Bureau, as part of his ongoing probe.
Mr. Tinubu’s investigation was led by the now chairman of the anti-graft agency, Abdulrasheed Bawa , while he was the head of Lagos zonal office.
In the letter, the anti-graft agency referred to its previous letter of September 4, 2020, and CCB’s response of October 9, 2020, asking the bureau to supply “outstanding requested information of Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu.”
However, the Afenifere’s national publicity secretary, Yinka Odumakin, in a chat with Daily Independent asked the former governor of Lagos state to “sort himself out with the EFCC”, on grounds that he failed to defend the Yorubas in time of need.
Mr. Odumakin reiterated that the probe has nothing to do with the group, as it was bent on protecting the Yoruba race against banditry.
“Let them sort out themselves. It has nothing to do with us in Afenifere. Let them fight their corruption the way they want and sort themselves out,” he said, while stating that it is internal politics and “not an issue for us. “
“We are fighting the killings and attacks on Yoruba people at this moment. That is what we have time for now. Our focus now is to end the serial attacks, banditry and raping of our women and other things that are going on. That is our concern at the moment; not any party or political leader,” Mr. Odumakin said.
When asked about a claim by the group’s factional leader Ayo Adebanjo who said an attack on Mr. Tinubu generally affects the race, Mr. Odumakin maintained that Afenifere has not disowned the elder statesman.
He said “We do not disown our leader, Papa Ayo Adebanjo for the statement he made at that time,” adding that “the circumstances were different from what obtains now.”
“Our people are under serious siege and anybody that cannot stand up for them in what they are going through cannot have Yoruba support at this time,” the group’s spokesman added.
