Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos
Senator Anthony Adefuye, a Third Republic senator and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday blasted Afenifere, pan Yoruba socio-political organisation for claiming he was distorting history over his statement on former President Olusegun Obasanjo's heritage.
Adefuye in an interview with Daily Independent had said Obasanjo is an Igboman with an Igbo father from Anambra state while his mother was from Abeokuta in Ogun state.
Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere's National Publicity Secretary however said described Adefuye's statement as a "twisted and perverted logic".
He also said some Yoruba sons are trying to join others to denigrate the heritage of the former president in a bid to advance their political interests.
Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, Adefuye said he parted ways with Afenifere leaders because they are not honest people.
Adefuye who accused them of cheating the late Funso Williams also added that Afenifere leaders are embittered against him for supporting Obasanjo in the 1999 presidential election.
He said "Odumakin is a man who talks for what he will get from what he says. He knows no facts. The only sin I committed against Afenifere was that I supported Obasanjo during the 1999 presidential election".
"At that time, they also cheated late Funsho Williams and so I decided not to work with them. I have just been keeping quiet not because we don't know them. We know them very well. The problems they are facing now, they caused it themselves".
"So, that is why they have no followership anymore. Before it is the party that Afenifere supports that wins election but today, when they are in any political party, nobody is there and they lose because they are never honest. They are not honest people. They don't speak the truth".
"When we were in the 2014 National conference, that was why some of them went and take money from President Goodluck Jonathan and said that he should make derivation 25 percent. I asked, if you make derivation 25 percent, how does that save we Yorubas that have no oil? When my children will come and read in history that I was part of the people that said derivation should go to Ijaw people?".
The elderstatesman also backed his claim that restated Obasanjo is not a Yoruba man with an incident that happened in 1999 shortly after Obasanjo's victory in the 1999 presidential election.
"When we were campaigning for him, most of the time I was with him in Ota, Ogun state. After he won the presidential election in 1999, this delegation came from Anambra state and they said they wanted to see him as their son who has just won election".
"Obasanjo refused and didn't allow them to enter that day. I was with him and was pleading with him to allow them to enter and hear what they wanted to say but he refused. The national dailies flew it the next day. I know Obasanjo very well so I know what I'm talking about" Adefuye said.
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