Afenifere never issued us query of allegation, says suspended spokesperson

The suspended National Publicity Secretary of the pan‑Yoruba socio‑political organisation Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, says the group never gave him or the suspended National Organising Secretary, Abagun Omololu, a chance to respond to the allegations leveled against them by the organisation’s leaders. In his Tuesday response, Ajayi condemned the action, arguing that it contradicted Afenifere’s own ethos and regulations. “To the best of my knowledge, Abagun Kole Omololu and I were never issued a query, let alone asked to appear before any disciplinary committee. It is a pity that an organisation founded on principles and guided by regulations could take disciplinary action against any member—especially officials—without giving them an opportunity to respond to the allegations,” he said.

Ajayi linked his suspension to two recent press statements that some senior members of Afenifere disagreed with, Vanguard reports. The first statement addressed the nation’s cash scarcity, urging the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria to extend the deadline for circulating both old and new naira notes by at least three months. He made the appeal in early February, before the Supreme Court’s pronouncement. A senior Afenifere officer later told him that his request did not reflect the organisation’s position, but the official stance was never communicated to him.

The second incident involved a congratulatory message to President‑elect Bola Tinubu after his electoral victory. Some members called Ajayi to express displeasure, arguing that because Peter Obi and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar were still contesting the results, it was premature to congratulate Tinubu.

According to a communique issued after an Afenifere meeting at the residence of group leader Pa Ayo Adebanjo in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, the duo were suspended indefinitely for alleged misconduct. The statement said the organisation “observed uncouth activities and unauthorised statements made in its name, and the constant denigration of the organisation, by Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary, and Abagun Kole Omololu, the National Organising Committee.”