Afenifere appoints Dele Farotimi as National Organising Secretary

The Pa Ayo Adebanjo-led faction of Afenifere, a key Yoruba sociopolitical group, has appointed lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi as its new National Organising Secretary.

This decision was made at a general meeting held at Adebanjo’s residence in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, on Tuesday. The appointment was confirmed in a communiqué signed by the Deputy Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, and the National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye.

The statement read: “The General Meeting considered and approved the appointment of Barrister Dele Farotimi as the National Organising Secretary of the Afenifere.”

Farotimi’s appointment follows the recent withdrawal of a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Aare Afe Babalola, a prominent legal figure. The suit stemmed from alleged defamatory remarks in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.

Farotimi had faced charges in an Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti, where he was granted bail in the sum of ₦30 million. His legal battles attracted public attention, particularly with the intervention of high-profile figures like the Ooni of Ife, leading to Babalola’s decision to drop the case.