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Tinubu’s Victory: War In Afenifere As Fasoranti Faults Adebanjo

Published

2 years ago

March 29, 2023

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…Says suspension of 2 officials won’t stand

The leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, yesterday, dissociated himself from the position taken at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State over the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the President-elect, saying that is not the Afenifere way.

He also declared the removal and suspension of two Afenifere officials, Messrs Kole Omololu and Jare Ajayi, null and void.

Fasoranti, in a statement he personally signed, stated that being a law abiding organization, Afenifere could not have asserted that someone, other than the person declared by the body duly authorized by the Constitution and other extant laws of the land, is the winner of the February 25, 2023, presidential election.

Both Ajayi and Omololu were sacked for allegedly issuing unauthorised statements and constant denigration of the organisation.

But distancing himself from the communiqué by its leader and Secretary General, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Sola Ebiseni respectively after its monthly meeting held at Isanya Ogbo in Ogun State, Fasoranti said: “A General Meeting does not have the power to convene and take such a far-reaching decision just at the whims of individuals.”

The statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to the Communique purportedly issued after a meeting that held on Tuesday, March 27, at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State. This statement is being issued because of the content of the said document.

“Afenifere could not have asserted that someone, other than the person declared by the body duly authorized by the Constitution and other extant laws of the land, is the winner of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023 in Nigeria.

“The body mandated to conduct elections in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after the completion of this year’s presidential election on February 25th, has declared the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the winner of the said election.

“Our National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, issued a congratulatory message to the President-elect after he had been issued a Certificate of Return by INEC.

“This was cited as an ‘uncouth activity’ by the communiqué mentioned above which further stated that Abagun and Ajayi were ‘suspended sine die pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee’.

“It means that the two were pronounced guilty and consequently sanctioned even before their appearance before a Disciplinary Committee.

“That is not the Afenifere way. A General Meeting does not have the power to convene and take such a far-reaching decision just at the whims of individuals. There must have been an official petition laid at the Caucus Meeting, which is referred to the Disciplinary Committee that will investigate and give the officers involved the opportunity to plead their cases.

“Reports and recommendations are then received by the Leaders-in-Council who then take a decision on the Report with The Leader before reverting to the Caucus in communication. This fiat approach as seen in the current situation is alien to our organisation and cannot stand.”

On the presidential election, he said: “This type of position is alien to us in Afenifere which does not conduct itself as an agent of the state let alone as an electoral umpire. We accept the results of the elections at all levels as declared by INEC until otherwise decided by competent courts in the land.

“Presently, the whole world knows that Nigeria has a President-elect in person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a true Yoruba son and nationalist. We in Afenifere not only acknowledge this, we take delight in his in-coming Presidency and are confident that he will, by the grace of God, return Nigeria to the glorious position that all of us will be proud of.

“I also read in the said communiqué, the purported removal and suspension of the National Publicity Secretary and the National Organising Secretary of the organization in persons of Jare Ajayi and Abagun Kole Omololu.

“At no time was any of these officials reported to me as doing anything against what Afenifere stands for or doing anything against the interests of our race, the Yoruba. Thus, at no time was I informed that they were queried, warned or sanctioned for conducting themselves in a manner contrary to what Afenifere or the Yoruba stand for.

“Being an organization that believes in justice and fairness, being an organization that always maintains that those at the helms of affairs should follow the rule of law, Afenifere, our organization, cannot just wake up and pronounce some officials removed and suspended without telling them what their offences are and without giving them the opportunities to defend themselves.

“Such a step is not only against natural justice; it is also in clear defiance of the law of the land. Afenifere believes in the rule of law and in the fundamental rights of all, including right to fair hearing. For these and other reasons, the purported removal and suspension are null and void. The two officials should be commended rather than condemned for the selfless services they are rendering to Afenifere, to the Yoruba race and to Nigeria and humanity. They are hereby so commended.”
VANGUARD

Related Topics:#Tinubu Adebanjo Afenifere Fasoranti

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Trump Signs Order For TikTok’s Sale, Valued At $14bn

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1 hour ago

September 26, 2025

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United States President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order declaring that his plan is to sell TikTok’s US operations to American and global investors.

As reported by Reuters on Friday, the order requires companies bidding for TikTok to meet the national-security requirements of the 2024 law that otherwise would ban the app unless its Chinese owners divest.

Speaking to reporters at an Oval Office briefing on Thursday, Vice President James Vance said the newly created US entity would be “valued around $14 billion.

“We actually think this is a good deal for investors, but they will make a determination about what they want to invest and what they think is the proper value,” he said.

The White House on Thursday pushed back the law’s enforcement date to January 20 to allow time for the transaction, investor commitments, and negotiations with Chinese authorities.

The publication of the executive order shows Trump is making progress on the sale of TikTok’s US assets.

However, details remain to be worked out, including how the U.S. company would handle TikTok’s most valuable asset: its recommendation algorithm.

“There was some resistance on the Chinese side, but the fundamental thing that we wanted to accomplish is that we wanted to keep TikTok operating, but we also wanted to make sure that we protected Americans’ data privacy as required by law,” Vance said.

According to Reuters, Trump’s order says the algorithm will be retrained and monitored by the U.S. company’s security partners, and operation of the algorithm will be under the control of the new joint venture.

Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had indicated approval of the plans. “I spoke with President Xi,” Trump said. “We had a good talk, I told him what we were doing, and he said go ahead with it.”

Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. TikTok did not immediately comment on Trump’s action.

Trump has credited TikTok, which has 170 million U.S. users, with helping him win reelection last year. Trump has 15 million followers on his personal TikTok account. The White House also launched an official TikTok account last month.

“This is going to be American-operated all the way,” Trump said.

He said that Michael Dell, the founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies; Rupert Murdoch, the chairman emeritus of Fox News owner Fox Corp, and newspaper publisher News Corp, and “probably four or five absolutely world-class investors” would be part of the deal.

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14-year-old Dies After Botched Secret Breast Surgery

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2025

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A 14-year-old girl has died following a secret cosmetic procedure reportedly carried out by her mother’s boyfriend, a tragedy that her biological father only uncovered after her funeral.

The teenager, identified as Paloma Nicole Arellano Escobedo, died on September 20, 2025, after undergoing a breast enlargement surgery in Tijuana, Mexico, as reported by TMZ on Thursday.

Reports say the operation was arranged by her mother without the knowledge or consent of her father, Carlos Arellano.

Following the surgery, Paloma suffered severe complications that led to cardiorespiratory arrest and brain swelling. She was pronounced dead shortly after.

Her death certificate, however, listed the cause as cerebral oedema caused by a respiratory illness, a claim her father strongly disputes. Information for this report was compiled from multiple sources, including AZ Central.

“Her death certificate falsely stated ‘illness’ as the cause of death in an attempt to cover up the truth,” said Carlos, alleging that the official report was deliberately misleading.

Carlos said he became suspicious after the family received the certificate unusually quickly.

“They gave it to us right away. I don’t know how they did it so quickly,” he said, adding that the speed of the process raised further questions about whether officials were attempting to conceal the true cause of death.

During the funeral, relatives noticed that Paloma’s chest looked noticeably different.

“At the funeral, some relatives told me her breasts were larger than what she had before, and when I mentioned it to her mother, she told me it wasn’t true, that she didn’t know anything,” Carlos told prosecutors, according to AZ Central.

When he asked for a private moment to say goodbye to his daughter, Carlos invited his mother, sister, and sister-in-law to help him examine her body.

“Sure enough: she had breast implants. We have photographs of the implants and the scars. We immediately requested an autopsy,” he said in his official complaint.

Authorities later confirmed that the surgery had allegedly been performed by Dr Víctor Manuel, a 45-year-old plastic surgeon who owned a private clinic in Durango and was romantically involved with Paloma’s mother.

He has since been suspended by the Mexican Association of Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgeons while the Durango State Prosecutor’s Office investigates the case.

Carlos accused his ex-wife and her partner of lying to him and attempting to conceal the true circumstances of their daughter’s death.

“I demand that all those responsible be investigated,” he said, calling for justice and accountability for everyone involved in the unauthorised surgery and possible cover-up.

Durango’s Attorney General, Yadira de la Garza Fragoso, confirmed that investigators are looking into the role of both the surgeon and the mother.

“We are investigating a probable lack of care on the part of the mother for placing a minor who was under her care and custody in risky situations,” Fragoso said.

The incident has sparked widespread concern over illegal and unsafe cosmetic surgeries involving minors in Mexico. While the country has no explicit national law restricting plastic surgery for those under 18, such procedures typically require the written consent of both parents.

A final autopsy report is pending as authorities continue the investigation.

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Netanyahu’s Plane Takes Unusual Route To UN Summit

Published

21 hours ago

September 25, 2025

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plane took an unusual route to New York on Thursday, skirting several European countries en route to the United Nations General Assembly.

Although France had authorised Israeli use of its airspace, according to a French diplomatic source who spoke to AFP, flight-tracking data showed Netanyahu’s aircraft instead took a southern path.

It crossed Greece and Italy, then veered south through the Strait of Gibraltar before heading across the Atlantic.

Britain, France and Portugal were among a string of countries to recognise a Palestinian state this week, a move Netanyahu bitterly opposes. Ireland and Spain announced their recognition in May.

Israeli media, meanwhile, reported that the detour by Netanyahu’s plane was intended to avoid countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, which could enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in case of an emergency landing.

The ICC in November issued warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

Spain last week announced it would support the ICC investigation and had set up a team to probe alleged human rights violations in Gaza, as part of its broader push to pressure Israel to end the war.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Friday. He is also slated to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next week.

AFP