Which Way Afenifere

The news that the Pan - Yoruba socio - cultural group Afenifere has finally dumped the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and teamed up with some political associations, including at faction of National Frontiers (NF) must have come as a surprise to keen political analysts and observers.

According to the report, the Afenifere, represented by Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Chief Ayo Opadokun and Hon. J.F. Adeyemi, have agreed to team up with such groups as the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPIJ), United Middle Belt Congress (IJMBC), United Nigeria Development Forum (UNDF), a faction of Union of Niger I;)elta (UND) and the NF, led by Alhaji Habu Fari, to forrn the National Democratic Party (NDP).

Ordinarily, such a move ought to have been hailed by all and sundry, especially when yiewed against the backdrop of the crisis in the AD, as well as the obvious need for a realignment by the Afenifere. Of course, political observers have been wondering why it has taken the leadership of the Afenifere this long to realize that the AD Platform has been hijacked totally by renegades and crass opportunists. They have always known that it Is only a matter of time for the Afenifere to back out of the s- olen AD Platform and seek relevance elsewhere.

But, at no time, could anyone have imagined that the leadership of the Afenifere would be discussing with elements considered as enemies of progress and whose involvement in politics have no direct relationship with improving the lot of the populace.

If at all, people had expected the core leadership of the Afenifere to have initiated, or at best aligned with other progressive forces, to set up a credible platform to which the people can rightfully ascribe as their own.

However, it has become pertinent to point out to those claiming to represent the interest of the Afenifere, particularly former Extemal Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, that the latest proposed alliance with the NF was one that was bound to boomerang.

Reasons for making such far reaching conclusions are not far-fetched. For one, the NF, whether led by Chief Sunday Awoniyi or Habu Fari does not in any way appropriate the ideals for which the founding fathers oftheA/enifere are known for.

The late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was undoubtedly, a fore-runner of the progressive ideals that the Afenifere has come to represent first in the south west and in, the nation at large. And at no time, did he advocate alliance with turn coats, opportunists and chop - I- chop politicians.

No doubt, the likes of Pa Awolowo, and the late Pa Micheal Ajasin were always willing to engage in any national discourse, but in doing so, they were also very conscious that any platforrn that was not populist in outlook and structure was bound to self destruct. This was why both men were well respected for their principled stand while alive.

Similarly, both men, have rightly advocated that the progressive forces in this great country far out weigh the reactionaries and the conservatives in our midst. And they were eventually vindicated with the resounding victory recorded by the defunct social Democratic Party (SDP) in the June 12, 1993 Presidential elections.

After all, the sanctity of the June 12 polls, was not so much that the late chief M.KO. Abiola won the election. What made that electoral exercises historic was the fact that for once, progressives spoke in one definitive voice to prove that they were more in number and that they remain the bastion of People Power in Nigeria.

In seeking any form of realignment therefore one would have imagined that the leaders of the Afenifere would seek to "romance" other time tested progressives in parts of the country, rather than those who worked assiduously behind the scene and frontally, to fritter away the victory won on June 12, and may be prepared to negotiate away their mandate for some lucre in the future.

Besides, the fact that there is no denying the fact that the NTF is the other side of the Naational Solidarity Association (NSA) ought to have made the leadership of the Afenifere very suspect of any alliance with the group. Could any member of the NF or NSA truthfully deny the linkage to erstwhile military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida?

Where such doubts may have been entertained, the recent palace coup initiated by Habu Fari to upstage second Republic Speaker of the House of Representatives Dr. Ume Ezeoke has completely wiped away. And lligerians ought to see the NF as a bastion of military apologists and cheap opportunists with unbridled ambition for naked power.

What perhaps may become evident in the end is the fact - that Awoniyi and Ezeoke were pushed out to pave way for a facade to be created by Habu Fari that would lure certain progressives into their fold and thereby hood wink the populace in the next elections.

But, it will be strange for the leaders of the Afenifere to fall into such an obvious boobv trap. After all, it was such a decoy that led them into the quagmire that they find themselves in the AD today. Otherwise, how could the likes of Senator Wahab Dosunmu have been admitted into the progressive camp in the first place? How could such elements have had the audacity to contemptuously dump the progressive platform that got them into power without any fear of sanction?

Nonetheless, it may be safe to conjecture that Senator Okunrounmu, Ayo Opadokun' and Professor Akinyemi are acting out a script initiated and nurtured by them without the blessing of the Afenifere leadership. In which case, Senator Abraham Adesanya must come out in categorical terms to condemn or rebuke the action of those claiming to represent the interest of the group.

As leader of the Afenifere, Senator Adesanya should know that failure to speak up now could portend more grievous cor.sequences for the electorate who are being unjustly coerced and lured into the NF in the belief that the new alliance has his implicit blessing.

By and large, the Pan - Yoruba group must realize that it is the beautiful bride that everyone wants to have in their fold and that in pitching tent anywhere, history and posterity should be the determining factor. Considering the failure of the AD project Adesanya must consciously take a decision, not necessarilv to satisfy the euphoria of wanting to belong to a supposedly rich party, but one for which history and posterity will remember him for good.

Definitely, relating with well known enemies of the people for the purpose of forming a new political party will amount to an ideological suicide. And history will not forget those who consciously led the Yoruba to another round of "second slavery". Or was it not the Yoruba who say that a man does not call a cow "uncle" simply because he wants to ea: meat?

For now, history beckons on the likes of Adesanya, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Ganiyu Dawodu to take the right decision by voting with their feet. And in doing so, posterity expects them to stand tall among other true progressives, and not pretenders and crass opportunists. It behoves on these respected leaders to make the right move.