The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, was once a vibrant entity. Sadly, it was an Ahitophelic disposition that worked from within among the Leaders to render it impotent till date. It was the same spirit of Ahitophel that worked among our Leaders during the First Republic to destroy the Action Group from within.
The same spirit worked against the Alliance for Democracy (AD) leading to the unsolved murder of Chief Bola Ige. But for the spirit of Ahitophel among key Yoruba Leaders of his time, Afonja would have lived to fulfill his destiny, thus saving the Yoruba Nation loads of anguish, which persist till this day.
The Ahitophelic spirit is currently rearing its ugly head across the South-West and within the All Progressives Congress (APC). And, if care is not taken by some key Leaders to desist from this path of ruin, it could set the Yoruba Nation back by another 50 years, at least!
Ahitophel was a well-gifted man of God, who had an excellent prophetic gift along with an administrative skill that remains unrivalled till today. China’s Sun Tzu wrote abour war tactics and strategies that could lead to a successful war campaign. Ahitophel, with his spiritual gifts, was like a great grandfather to Sun Tzu for those of us, interested in using the Holy Bible as a guide in times of crisis, not just war alone.
Ahitophel’s grandson-in-law, Uriah, had been indirectly murdered by King David. The Bible says, “be angry, but do not sin.” Instead of Ahitophel using his gifts to understand what has happened being the closest to King David it was a plot for revenge he was fully involved with by later giving support to Absalom, who wanted to take over from the father by killing King David.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Old Testament, Uriah had violated a Law: The Law had enjoined newly married Israelites to stay at home for one year and not go to war. But Uriah, who had zeal without knowledge believed naively he was serving God by going to fight. If he had not left his newly wedded wife, it is very possible that King David would not have done what he did.
Anyway, it is normal to advise that, you don’t fight with whoever God has forgiven. Your anger should not even stay much longer against such a person no matter the level of hurt you feel. You MUST forgive! But Ahitophel would have none of that, leading a highly gifted man of God to an early grave. It was just one prayer that the King, who NEVER lost a battle said, “Lord turn the counsel of Ahitophel into foolishness.” And, it was so. Meanwhile, Ahitophel would have prayed and possibly fasted too. But it was David’s prayer that Awamaridi Olodumare answered.
In Yorubaland today, many are up in arms against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Mine is to sound a note of warning to such Ahitophels. I did same for Afenifere Leaders through my weekly column, As It Is, when I was Political Editor of The PUNCH newspaper. In fact, late Papa Olaniwun Ajayi had to ‘summon’ me to Isara Remo to explain myself after one of such articles was published. I stood my ground after due explanations in Isara that day. Of course, one is not a saint. But everything I wrote have since come to pass, because the old men continued to harbour anger and unforgiveness against one another.
Sycophants encouraging Tinubu to continue his ‘war’ against Rauf Aregbesola should note that Olorun kii sun. Osuwon ti kun rere. Those on the Aregbesola side, who naively believe Tinubu should be put down because of some infractions should learn from the past. You can be humiliated. You can be disgraced. But as the Lord lives, allow Him to avenge, not you. Why? You may not know why Olodumare allowed some things to happen, using people you would have trusted with your life.
Ours is to warn, as it appears that strategists on both sides have lost it completely. Give Osun State to the opposition. Na you sabi. Ensure that the same thing happen in Lagos by helping those shouting Lagos-for-Lagosians as if Jibowu was not the boundary of the old western region; as if from Lekki back to Epe was not in the old Western region. As my elder brother, Dayo Adedayo, would say, E maa wa alright las las!
We should forgive and move on. That is the way of an Omoluabi. Only Olodumare and His Irunmales are without blemish. Being humans, we are bound to make mistakes and hurt one another in the process. My closing words is the same I gave the Afenifere leaders as a fulltime journalist:
(Eyin omo Oodua)
E fura o,
Pansa o fura,
Pansa ja sina,
Aja o fura,
Aja jin …
Adedayo is the Executive Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government.
