Nigeria

2023: Afenifere Denies Endorsing any Candidate for Presidency

Wednesday, April 07, 2021 at 2:22 PM by Kess Ewubare

- A southwest-based socio-political group, Afenifere, has reacted to reports claiming that it has endorsed a presidential candidate for the 2023 election

- The group discredited the reports about the purported endorsement

- Afenifere was thrown into mourning following the death of its spokesperson, Yinka Odumakin

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A report claiming that Afenifere, the southwest-based socio-political group endorsed a candidate for the 2023 presidential election has been dismissed.

The group in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Wednesday, April 7, said the claim was untrue.

2023: Afenifere denies endorsing any candidate for presidential election — Afenifere has earned the reputation for being a respected socio-political group in the southwest region. Photo: @AsiwajuTinubu
Source: Twitter

Afenifere’s director of communications, Sola Lawal, stated that the group never backed any candidate as claimed by the leader of a South West Agenda, Dayo Adeyeye.

He stated that it was improper for Adeyeye to try to politicise his visit to Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the former Afenifere leader, at a time when the group was still mourning the death of its former spokesperson, Yinka Odumakin.

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Lawal said:

''The Adeyeye foray into Afenifere space at this period of huge loss and intense mourning is disrespectful, insensitive and unwarranted.

Being a former Afenifere top-notch and, in fact , Odumakin's immediate predecessor in office as the spokesperson for Afenifere, Adeyeye should cease all activities and join us in mourning at this trying time.’’

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the family and friends of Yinka Odumakin, the national publicity secretary of Afenifere.

The Afenifere spokesman died on Saturday, April 3, at the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) where he was being treated for respiratory issues due to COVID-19 complications.

President Buhari in a statement released by one of his aides, Femi Adesina, expressed sorrow at the death of the human rights activist, who according to him still had more to contribute to the nation at large.