Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has expressed his condolences on the death of a frontline leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
Chief Adebanjo passed on early Friday, aged 96 years old.
Governor Oyebanji in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, described the late Chief Adebanjo as a committed nationalist and one of the first generation Awoists that laboured for the nation’s independence.
Governor described the late Chief Adebanjo as a complete democrat, a fighter of bad governance and an advocate of true federalism in the Nigerian federation.
Governor Oyebanji noted that the late Chief Adebanjo was a consistent champion of the ideals of his leader, the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo till he breathed his last.
According to him, the deceased played politics with decency as a committed member and chieftain of the Action Group ,AG, Unity Party of Nigeria ,UPN and Alliance for Democracy ,AD.
The Governor recalled the noble roles played by the departed nonegenarian alongside other pro-democracy activists like the late Chief Abraham Adesanya, the Chief Olanihun Ajayi, the late Chief Anthony Enahoro, the late Chief Alfred Rewane and other heroes too numerous to mention in ensuring the return of democracy in 1999.
He further credited the Chief Adebanjo with using the platform of Afenifere to speak truth to power and offer useful counsel and alternative options on how to have a stronger democracy and a more prosperous Nigeria.
Governor Oyebanji prayed God to grant the immediate family, friends and associates of the deceased, the government and people of Ogun State, his home state, the fortitude to bear the monumental loss.
“On behalf of the Government and good people of Ekiti State, I extend condolences to the immediate family member of our late leader, Chief Adebanjo and the leadership of Afenifere on this great loss and pray that Gid grant our departed leader eternal rest “, the statement added.
….. His Exit Marks the End of a Glorious Era, Says Abiodun
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has described the passing of the foremost nationalist, elder statesman, and leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, as the end of a glorious era.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Friday, Abiodun described Adebanjo as a man of principle and one of the most prominent and unwavering disciples of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Abiodun, who described Adebanjo’s death at the age of 96 at his residence in Lekki, Lagos State, on Friday as a profound loss to Nigeria, said the government and people of Ogun State could not have wished for a more glorious end for the unblemished apostle of federalism, good governance, and the defense of Yoruba interests, who stood head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries and set the pace in the critical appraisal of governments and governance as vehicles of social engineering.
He described the late legal and political icon as one of the few Nigerians whose life embodied the story of Nigeria, from the struggle for independence to the post-independence era, straddling military rule and the return to democratic rule, together with all the joys and pains of those epochal moments.
He added: “To all intents and purposes, Chief Ayo Adebanjo represented the finest of Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole, and his ideals will never be forgotten”.
“It does not matter where you stand in the political terrain: Adebanjo was a man whose integrity you could not question. He lived through the finest and ugliest moments of Nigerian history, was hounded by the Establishment for his beliefs, and was even exiled for resisting autocracy and the suppression of the masses, and never once hid his identity as a passionate defender of the Yoruba nation and its interests, regardless of whose horse was gored.
“From his activist beginnings in 1943 as a follower of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to his activities as a member of the youth wing of the Action Group in 1951, right into the early ’60s, where the sage and his lieutenants stood trial for treason, and right into the heady days of the military and the return to civil rule when he actively engaged governments and participated in constitutional conferences to remake the structure, character, and temper of Nigerian federalism, Adebanjo never once refrained from being a voice of courage and a force for good. In particular, his strident advocacy for federalism was unmatched.
“We are still coming to terms with the reality of his passing, but let us just note that we are profoundly grateful to the Almighty God for giving us such a gem in Ogun State. He will be sorely missed”.
