EXCLUSIVE REPORT FROM AN IN-HOUSE SOURCE AT AFENIFERE CAUCUS MEETING CURRENTLY ONGOING IN AKURE, ONDO STATE:

NEW YORUBA LEADER, PROF. (SENATOR) BANJI AKINTOYE TO AFENIFERE- Restructure Yourself Internally, Be Less Partisan, Embrace the Younger Generation, Unite Splinter Groups, Be Accountable to Your Members and be Transparent.

In his paper titled "For We May Distintegrate If We Don't Restructure Internally, Akintoye said:

"Please, let's unite all splinter socio-cultural, advocacy and self determination groups together in the interest of Yoruba Race. We must be seen to have direction, united and focused.

"If this caucus continue to lord themselves over the younger generation in the splinter socio-cultural and self determination groups who have by their actions, programmes and initiatives exhibited lack of confidence in Afenifere, we may cease to exist in less than a decade.

"It is sad that unlike the apex group of other regions, Afenifere doesn't not have constitution; no bank account; no financial secretary; no treasurer; no secretariat; no policy direction; no structure; outside the usually flippant release of politically biased and unapproved press statements, the mainstream Afenifere has not organized any programme known to intellectualism in the last one Decade.

"The management has been taken out of the reach of the main leader, Baba Fasoranti. Afenifere is now being ran like a business enterprise by seven people who are also present in this meeting. To these people, Afenifere is their private property.

"We do not care neither do we carry the younger generation along. They have lost confidence in us but we are not bothered. Unfortunately, they have the numbers which Afenifere does not have. We are losing it.

"We played politics to an extent that Federal Government stopped inviting us to meetings on behalf of our people. People who are mere leaders of just ONE PARTY are now the one representing the generality of our people in Aso rock. I urge you to restructure. I urge you to change strategies. I urge you to be less partisan. We must embrace all Yoruba Sons and Daughters" Akintoye said.

However, Lagos Leader of Afenifere, Pa. Ayo Adebanjo and Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, supported by some unknown faces invited into the meeting by Pa Adebanjo turned down the emotion-provoked suggestions of Prof. Banji Akintoye.

They opined that Afenifere has never operated from secretariat nor make use of bank account therefore, the union does not need to have Treasurer nor a Secretary.

"In our tradition, we don't use bank account," Mr. Odumakin drooped a bombshell.

Speaking further, Odumakin said "We do not operate from secretariat. The Leader dictate and we follow so the question of structure is baseless. We are not a yahoo-yahoo NGO so organizing programmes should not be our priority. Decisions are taken by less than 10 people in Afenifere for our people to adhere to so we do not need to have Congress to take decisions.

"We are also not going to beg the younger elements to join or trust us. We won't beg anyone. We won't appeal to any group. If they like, let them stay away. We care not about the confidence of anyone. We are not uniting with any group. We are not accountable to anybody" - Mr. Yinka Odumakin, with many rounds of applause from Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Mr. Demola Folarin, Mr. Supo Shonibare, amongst others, opined in his response to the affirmations of Prof. Banji Akintoye.