Afenifere leader Reuben Fasoranti dies at 100

Afenifere leader Reuben Fasoranti has died at 100, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa announced on October 20, 2026. The governor issued the announcement in a personal statement, describing Fasoranti as a public figure whose service and counsel had reached across Ondo State and Nigeria. The sources provide no separate account of the circumstances of his death. Fasoranti was a prominent figure in Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, and in the progressive political tradition associated with Obafemi Awolowo. His public life included teaching, state government service and activism for democratic rule. Tributes following his death came from political leaders including President Bola Tinubu and governors. Aiyedatiwa offered condolences to Fasoranti’s family, the people of Akure Kingdom and the state. He said the elder statesman’s guidance and positions on justice and good governance would be missed. Tinubu described Fasoranti as a longstanding figure in the progressive movement and recalled visiting him in Akure in 2022 to discuss his decision to seek the presidency. That account of their conversation was given by the president in his tribute. Born on May 11,...