Afenifere Hails Tinubu, Soyinka As Pride Of Yorùbá Nation

The pan-Yoruba sociopolitical and cultural organisation, Afenifere, has described President Bola Tinubu and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka as distinguished sons of Odùduwà and shining ambassadors of Yorùbá heritage across the world.

In a statement on Thursday by its National Organising Secretary, Otunba Kole Omololu, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Afenifere said the two men embody the highest ideals of Yorùbá culture.

According to Afenifere, both Yoruba men have shown humility, reverence for wisdom, and the timeless values that have guided generations.

The organisation recalled a recent moment in Brazil where Tinubu vacated his seat at a state banquet in honour of Professor Soyinka, addressing him respectfully as ẹ̀gbọ́n (elder brother).

Afenifere described the gesture as “simple yet profound,” noting that it captured the essence of Yorùbá tradition, where leadership walks hand-in-hand with deference to knowledge and age.

“Such acts remind us of the dignity of our culture,” Afenifere said, adding that the moment echoes a historic encounter in 1987 when the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was warmly received in Havana by President Fidel Castro of Cuba.

That meeting, the group noted, symbolised a spiritual reunion between the Yorùbá homeland and its vibrant descendants across the Americas.

The statement added that “From Brazil to Cuba, Haiti to Jamaica, and across Latin America, Yorùbá culture has remained resilient, living on in traditions like Candomblé, Santería, Vodou, and Orisha worship, where sacred expressions such as àṣẹ, adúrà, oríkì, and Ọlọ́run are still in daily use centuries after the transatlantic dispersal.

“No other African people possess such a far-reaching, deeply rooted diaspora. Our àṣà (traditions) and ìwà pẹ̀lẹ́ (gentle character) continue to thrive globally, making the Yorùbá spirit eternal.”

Afenifere said it was proud to honour both President Tinubu and Professor Soyinka as embodiments of this heritage, describing them as living testaments to the resilience and dignity of the Yorùbá nation.