By Ghazali Ibrahim
The death of Pa Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, the former national leader of Afenifere, has marked another major loss for the Yoruba socio-political organisation, which has lost at least five prominent figures in the last decade.
Fasoranti, who died on October 20, 2026, at the age of 100, was among the leading disciples of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and a prominent voice in the struggle for democracy, restructuring and Yoruba political interests.
His death comes about 20 months after the passing of Chief Ayo Adebanjo, another influential Afenifere leader, who died on February 14, 2025, at the age of 96.
The organisation has also lost other notable figures, including Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Senator Ayo Fasanmi and its former National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin.
Ajayi, a lawyer, writer and nationalist, died on November 4, 2016, aged 91. He was one of the prominent advocates of Awolowo’s political philosophy and remained an influential voice in Yoruba affairs.
Fasanmi, a former senator and longstanding Afenifere chieftain, died on July 29, 2020, at the age of 94. He was known for his loyalty to Awolowo’s political ideals and his involvement in progressive politics.
Odumakin, who served as Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, died on April 3, 2021, aged 56, following complications from COVID-19. He was a vocal advocate of restructuring, human rights and democratic accountability.
Adebanjo, who emerged as a leading figure in Afenifere after Fasoranti stepped back from active leadership, was also a prominent nationalist and advocate of political restructuring. His death in 2025 further reduced the number of senior figures associated with the organisation’s founding political tradition.
Fasoranti’s passing now adds to the list of influential figures whose deaths have shaped Afenifere’s leadership history over the past decade.
A former Commissioner for Finance in the old Ondo State between 1979 and 1983, Fasoranti was widely associated with the political legacy of Awolowo and the promotion of democratic governance.
His death is expected to renew attention on the future of Afenifere and the preservation of its political ideals as a younger generation assumes greater responsibility within the organisation.
The family has announced that Fasoranti will be buried on December 17, 2026, in Akure, Ondo State.
