I found this interesting in one of the dailies (Sun). Who can lead the Yorubas amongst these men?

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/politics/2008/may/31/politics-31-05-2008-001.htm





Reuben Fasoranti
Fasoranti is a front-runner for the office on account of his nomination as acting leader by late Adesanya. He is exactly an unknown personality in Yoruba politics, it is just that he might not lay claim to being in the first eleven.

He was unknown in the trying days of Sani Abacha. He was never sighted in any of the Afenifere functions. Besides, as acting leader, he has not displayed any sterling quality required of a Yoruba or Afenifere leader – if he has, it has not been to the appreciation of the larger public. What Fasoranti however has going for him is the quality of those backing him for the office. Ayo Adebanjo, Olu Falae, Lanihun Ajayi and Femi Okunronmu who are in support of Fasoranti are trusted and tested Yoruba leaders. There just must be something that all these wise men see which the rest of us are not seeing. Similarly, Adesanya must have had his reasons for presenting Fasoranti in the first place. Already, five out of six governors in the South- West have held meetings with him which is a sign of recognition.

Fasoranti is not a young man. He must have the intelligence, experience and maturity that come with age. Besides, he is from the Ondo\Ekiti axis of Yorubaland. Although that area produced Ajasin in the past, Fasoranti will still be acceptable to many. Except something dramatic happens, Fasoranti may emerge as the next Afenifere leader. Whether he would be acceptable as Yoruba leader in the near future is a question begging for answer.

Ayo Fasanmi
Fasanmi is a renowned politician also from Ondo/Ekiti axis of Yorubaland. He is a one time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When Yoruba leaders converged at Owo to pick a successor to late Ajasin, it was Fasanmi who nominated Bola Ige as deputy leader when Ige withdrew from the contest and gave support to Adesanya as successor to Ajasin.

He has impressive political credentials and was one of the known names from Ondo/Ekiti axis in the dark days of the Sani Abacha regime. Fasanmi however has the disadvantage of coming into the race from a group that is viewed by the old order as not being in the mainstream of Afenifere politics.
A group led by former AD governors nominated him as deputy Afenifere leader. Those in the mainstream of Afenifere politics regard his group as rebels.

His chance of emerging as next Afenifere leader is remote. His group may however produce the next deputy leader. What will rule him out as deputy leader is the fact that he is from the same Ondo/Ekiti axis like Fasoranti – but that is if the latter emerges leader.

Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo
Adebayo is the candidate of the young generation in Afenifere. He has charisma. He is highly intelligent, educated and humble. His political credentials are impressive. He
was three times Commissioner in Kwara State. He was a Senator of the Federal Republic. He was elected UPN governor of Kwara state in 1983. He later served as minister in the Obasanjo administration.
Adebayo was actively involved in the resistance to Abacha tyranny. He has been a consistent Afenifere disciple. What Adebayo has going for him is that he is from the Kwara/Kogi axis of Yorubaland. Young and promising Afenifere leaders like Dayo Adeyeye from Ekiti state have publicly expressed the wish to nominate Adebayo as the next Afenifere leader. The argument for the nomination of Adebayo is that if the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) can repose confidence in Sunday Awoniyi - a Yoruba from Kogi state, Afenifere should not hesitate to repose confidence in Adebayo as its leader. C.O Adebayo is a candidate to watch. If the warring factions cannot reach a compromise, Adebayo may be the compromise candidate.

Gbenga Daniel
Daniel is a young impressive administrator and businessman. He is brilliant, hard working and successful. . Many were surprised in 2003 when he successfully defeated a hugely popular Segun Osoba to emerge as the first PDP governor in Ogun State. Adebanjo, a respected Afenifere and Yoruba leader recently singled out Daniel as the only governor executing programmes of the late sage, Awolowo.
What Daniel has going for him is his personal charisma and his impressive record both in the private and public sector. But Daniel appears more like a future Yoruba leader. He will most likely be one of those who will spearhead the ascendance of Fasoranti as Afenifere leader.

What disqualifies Daniel for now is that he is from Ogun state like Awolowo and Adesanya. Besides, he has not been fully integrated into the Afenifere family. But certainly, Daniel is a man to watch in future.

Bola Tinubu
This is a man mainstream Afenifere leaders love to hate. He is regarded as the arrowhead of the rebellion against the establishment. Asiwaju Tinubu enjoys publicity on the pages of newspapers. He is the Asiwaju of Lagos. He was two-term governor of Lagos. He is a Lagos boy. He is still regarded as the power behind the thrown in Lagos – an influence that may soon be extended to Osun, Ondo and Ekiti.

Tinubu has highly been touted as a possible Yoruba leader, but he is too politically savvy to push his own candidacy. Asiwaju will likely bid his time and support Ayo Fasanmi for the position of Afenifere leader. He will certainly not enjoy the support of mainstream Afenifere leaders, and the five PDP governors in the South-West will most certainly oppose his candidature. Of course, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola and AC followers may want Tinubu to be Afenifere or even Yoruba leader. He may not get much support outside Lagos for now. Tinubu's chance of becoming the next Afenifere leader is remote.

Biyi Durojaiye
Durojaiye is a respected Afenifere and Yoruba leader. He identified with NADECO and Afenifere in the dark days of Sani Abacha. He suffered incarceration for a long period.
He was a presidential aspirant on the ticket of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). He was a Senator of the Federal Republic. He is not known to belong to any of the factions in Afenifere.
By all standards, Durojaiye is qualified to be the next Afenifere leader. Unfortunately, he is from the same town, Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun state, as Adesanya. That automatically disqualifies him.

Ayo Adebanjo
Adebanjo is one of the most respected leaders in Yorubaland – although many do not like his system and approach to issues at times. He is one of the few who can speak authoritatively about late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He has been one of the kingmakers in Afenifere politics since the demise of Awolowo.
Adebanjo is qualified by all standards to lead Afenifere and Yorubaland. Unfortunately, he is also from Ogun state like Adesanya. He has publicly thrown his weight behind the candidacy of Fasoranti.

Olu Falae
Falae is a highly respected Nigerian. He contested the presidential election on the AD/APP ticket against Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. Falae is a loyal Afenifere leader. His opinion is respected in Nigeria. He is no doubt one of the best brains from Yorubaland. The Olu of Ilu-Abo in Ondo state will not however vie for Afenifere leadership. He has publicly stated that there is no vacancy for any other person except the man Adesanya appointed as acting leader - Fasoranti. Falae will most likely be one of those who will spearhead the emergence of Fasoranti as Afenifere leader.

Adeyinka Adebayo
The highly respected Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo was the military governor of the old Western Region and was instrumental to the series of meetings that culminated in the emergence of Awo as Yoruba leader. He is from Ekiti state. His son, Niyi, was the governor of Ekiti on the ticket of Alliance for Democracy.
Adebayo is presently the chairman of Yoruba Council of Elders after the demise of Pa Emmanuel Alayande. The YCE is regarded as a rival group to Afenifere. Though Adebayo is eminently qualified to be Afenifere leader, he may not be considered for the office.

Lamidi Adesina
Lam Adesina is a former governor of Oyo state. He has the advantage of coming from Oyo/Osun axis of Yorubaland. However, Adesina is coming from the camp of Ayo Fasanmi. He may not be considered at all. And may not command a great deal of respect and followership , even in his Oyo State.

Gani Fawehinmi
Fawehinmi is an outstanding son of Yorubaland. He is the personification of purity. If Adesanya was rigid, Fawehinmi is an extremist. The few occasions Fawehinmi collaborated with NADECO to fight Abacha government, it ended in disagreements. Fawehinmi will not want to lead Afenifere and Afenifere will certainly not consider him for the office.

Alani Akinrinade
Akinrinade is a one time Chief of Army Staff. He has been very consistent and loyal to Afenifere. The retired General is qualified to lead Afenifere. His house was bombed by those suspected to be Abacha agents in the heat of the battle for the actualization of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Akinrinade had to go on exile when he could no longer stand the heat.

Unfortunately, he is one of the leaders in the Fasanmi camp. Akinrinade who is from the Oyo/Osun axis of Yorubaland may throw his weight behind the Fasanmi candidature.

David Akingba
Akingba is a respected activist who will go to any length to support what is just. Akingba, a consultant in petroleum is from Ondo/Ekiti axis of Y orubaland. He is believed to be of the Ayo Fasanmi camp. Though respected by Afenifere leaders, he may throw his weight behind Fasanmi instead of presenting himself for consideration.

Olusegun Osoba
Osoba, a two-time governor of Ogun state, has all it takes to lead the Yoruba. Mainstream Afenifere leaders regard him as an inconsistent Afenifere member.
It is, however, to the credit of Osoba that (as a practising journalist) he was one of the three young men who the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo brought very close to him. Awo took them to virtually every major meeting of Yoruba leaders and regularly invited them to lunch and periodic brain-storming sessions.
He could almost claim to know as much of Awo and Awoism as just anybody else. He had also remained close to the Awolowo family since the demise of the sage.

His grouse with the older Afenifere members is that they had been reluctant to untie AD from Afenifere to enable the party grow beyond Yorubaland. That, he believes had made it difficult to sell Awoism, on a large scale, to the other regions of the country.

One snag to his chance of ever leading the Yoruba/Afenifere for now, however, is that he is a leader in Fasanmi camp. Besides, he is from Ogun state like Adesanya – though he is Egba. He may not be considered at all.

Do the yoruba's need a leader??

and why do yoruba need brilliants crooks as the leader?

Olu Falae is from kwara and therefore is not qualified as a full blooded yoruba.

who is David Akingba ?

how did all those people get into that list - - -

Ayo Adebanjo ? anoher crook that lost the plot

Tinubu ? e wan steal am ?

Daniel ? isnt he a serving gomina ?

GANI KE ? FROM WHERE TO WHERE ? . . . .leadership of a tribe is never articulable by activism

THIS IS A STRAIGHT FIGHT BETWEEN FASORANTI AND FASANMI >, THOUGH I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED AKANDE !

the lengthy write up is tooooooooo biased. Gbenga Daniel cannot be on the list when we talk of experienced leaders WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED AND TRUSTED. None on the so-called list qualifies like Asiwaju B. A. T. He fought the military like Adesanya, He fought Obasanjo like Awolowo, He is a lawyer like Adesanya, a senator like Adesanya, an astute politician like Awolowo, etc. He commands the respect of mainstream afenifere leaders like Pa Ajasin etc.
No1 can beat his records

father ab:

the lengthy write up is tooooooooo biased. Gbenga Daniel cannot be on the list when we talk of experienced leaders WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED AND TRUSTED. None on the so-called list qualifies like Asiwaju B. A. T. He fought the military like Adesanya, He fought Obasanjo like Awolowo, He is a lawyer like Adesanya, a senator like Adesanya, an astute politician like Awolowo, etc. He commands the respect of mainstream afenifere leaders like Pa Ajasin etc.
No1 can beat his records

I concur. I just don't understand what Gbenga Daniel is doing there. He is a businessman with no political experience.

MallamMusa:

Olu Falae is from kwara and therefore is not qualified as a full blooded yoruba.

He is a full blooded Ondo man and not Kwara.

u guys dont have a clue

Tinubu as yoruba leader ?

even in Lagos state sef he has leaders and kingmakers he stoops for

Mallammusa,

Olu Falae from Kwara? Have forgotten the man that squandered how money with IBB through SAP. He was the man. The came from ondo I beg.

He is a full blooded Ondo man and not Kwara.

Thanks for the correction.

Do the yoruba's need a leader??

The only guy wey dey yarn sense here and nobody wan listen to wetin him dey talk. Do we need a yoruba leader? what has the leaders done for us collectively? Even if the leadership thing worked before, will it work in the present new world?

We are easily drawn into all these primordial ideas of ethnic leadership
Probably a passover ideas from our parents.
What we need now is a Nigerian leader

oldie:

We are easily drawn into all these primordial ideas of ethnic leadership
Probably a passover ideas from our parents.
What we need now is a Nigerian leader

Then we should scrap all those Ethnic /political groups to realize a one Nigeria. As long as there are ethnic interests we cannot attain a one Nigeria as much as i want it to be realized.

y is obj not on d list?

bluehorizo:

Then we should scrap all those Ethnic /political groups to realize a one Nigeria. As long as there are ethnic interests we cannot attain a one Nigeria as much as i want it to be realized.

Ethnic interests? What ethnic interests
Dont deceive yourself, they are personal and selfish interests
When their interests are not met, they turn to ethnicity to push their interests!

Dont we have Igbos governing in the south east?
Dont we have Hausas in the north or Yorubas in west etc?
How well have these people affected the lives of their own people?

How many Yorubas benefitted from OBJ?
How many Hausas benefitted from IBB, Abacha etc?

Do having good roads, constant power supply, good educational system, abundant food, security depend on ethnicity?
We should stop this ethnic stuff, because most politicians and incompetent people use it for personal gains.

I think the idea of an ethnic leader is dated
We need a Nigerian leader!