Afenifere hails Tinubu, Soyinka as exemplary Yoruba sons

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has described President Bola Tinubu and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, as shining embodiments of Yoruba values on the global stage.

In a statement by its National Organizing Secretary, Otunba Kole Omololu, the group said recent events in Brazil underscored the prestige of the Yoruba nation and the timeless power of its culture.

Omololu noted that during a state banquet in Brazil, President Tinubu vacated his seat in deference to Soyinka, addressing him with the dignified term Egbon (elder brother).

“This act, simple yet profound, reflects the essence of Yoruba tradition: reverence for wisdom, humility in leadership, and the Omolúàbí ethic that demands respect across generations,” he said.

Recalling historical precedents, Omololu cited the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s warm reception by former Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, in 1987, which resonated as a spiritual reunion between the Yoruba homeland and its descendants in the Americas.

He further emphasized that Yoruba culture continues to thrive across Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, Trinidad, Jamaica, the United States, and other parts of Latin America through faiths like Candomblé, Santería, Vodou, and Orisha traditions, where sacred words such as àṣẹ, adúrà, oríkì, and Ọlọ́run are still spoken centuries after the transatlantic dispersal.

“These global expressions affirm that no other African people possess such a wide-reaching, deeply rooted diaspora, one that has faithfully preserved its àṣà (traditions) and ìwà pẹ̀lẹ́ (gentle character),” the statement added.

Afenifere praised Tinubu and Soyinka as living symbols of Yoruba resilience, dignity, and cultural pride.

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