Human rights lawyer and political activist, Dele Farotimi, has formally withdrawn his membership of Afenifere, ending an association with the Yoruba socio-political organisation that dates back to 1998.
Farotimi announced his departure in a statement titled “My Exit from Afenifere,” issued on Tuesday, in which he declared that he had formally severed all ties with the organisation and its leadership.
In the statement addressed to Nigerians, Farotimi said his association with Afenifere had been an important part of his public engagement and contributions to Nigeria’s political and social aspirations over the years.
He recalled that his involvement with the organisation began in 1998, when he served as the pioneer Chairman of Binukonu.
Reflecting on his longstanding relationship with the group, Farotimi expressed gratitude for the experiences, opportunities and platform it had provided him to contribute to collective aspirations.
However, he said he had decided to end the relationship, stressing that the organisation’s leadership would no longer represent his views or positions.
“Today, I bring my association with Afenifere to a close. I hereby formally sever all ties with the organisation and its leadership,” he stated.
“Henceforth, the leadership of Afenifere does not represent my views, and I no longer speak for or identify with its positions or actions.”
Farotimi described his decision as painful but necessary, although he declined to disclose the specific circumstances that informed his departure.
“There is a time and place for everything under the sun, and this is not the time to offer the reasons for this painful but necessary decision,” he said.
He added that he had decided against providing further explanations and appealed to Nigerians to respect his decision to leave the organisation.
“I have chosen not to offer any further explanation, and I ask that you respect and accept my decision,” he stated.
Despite his withdrawal from Afenifere and its leadership, Farotimi maintained that his commitment to the ideological principles associated with the organisation remained unchanged.
He stressed that leaving the organisation would not amount to abandoning his long-held political convictions or his pursuit of a Nigeria founded on social democratic principles.
According to him, his commitment to the ideals associated with the Action Group and Afenifere would continue despite his decision to sever ties with the group’s leadership.
“My commitment to the birth of a nation founded on the social democratic principles of the Action Group (Afenifere) remains unchanged, and I shall remain undaunted in my pursuit of these principles and ideals,” he said.
Farotimi’s statement drew a distinction between his continued commitment to the political ideals he has championed and his decision to withdraw from the organisation, whose leadership he said no longer represented his views.
He concluded by thanking Nigerians for their support, engagement and the opportunity to share his political convictions and vision for the country over the years.
However, he did not identify any individual within Afenifere or disclose the specific disagreement that led to his departure, leaving the reasons behind the decision undisclosed.