Nation
Obasanjo, Abiodun, Southwest govs, others pay last respects to Ayo Adebanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Governor of Lagos Babajide Sanwo-Olu, including Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde were among notable Nigerians that joined the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to bid farewell to the elder statesman and one of the last of Awo’s disciples, Pa Ayo Adebanjo.
Other prominent figures who stormed Isanya-Ogbo, Ijebu, to pay last respect to the late chieftain of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, included the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Dr. Peter Obi, General Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Chief Ayo Opadokun, as well as former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola Akerele-Bucknor, who is also a NADECO member.
The remains of the elder statesman were interred at around 1:54 p.m. at his house in Isanya-Ogbo, Ijebu, in the Odoogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Speaking at the event, which was held at the St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Isanya-Ogbo, Ijebu, Ogun State Governor Abiodun said the departed elder statesman was a “dogged crusader of true federalism,” whose legacies will continue to impact on Nigeria’s democratic evolution and federalist ideals.
“This statesman, politician remained an unwavering opponent of military dictatorship, a staunch supporter of the National Coalition (NADECO), a vocal advocate for the return to civilian rule, particularly when democracy hung in the balance after the annulment of June 12.”
“His role in defending the socio-political rights of Yoruba people earned him reverence across traditional and contemporary institutions, as BBC News reported. He stood as a symbol of Yoruba resistance to marginalization and cultural erosion.”
“His advocacy transcended ethnic boundaries, reflecting the ethos of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose words he embodied, and I quote, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’”
“He denounced corruption, nepotism, and impunity wherever they showed their head, becoming a moral compass in Nigeria’s turbulent political landscape.”
“Chief Adebanjo was a good man who did everything in his power to ensure the triumph of justice, fairness, and progress.”
Earlier in his sermon, the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, The Most Rev’d Dr Olusina Fape, noted that the late leader of Afenifere was a politician who laboured for the unity and progress of Nigeria throughout his lifetime through his advocacies for a true federal state built on equity, fairness, and justice.
Fape, who also serves as the Bishop of the Diocese of Remo, particularly stressed that late Pa Adebanjo led “a life of purpose and integrity, fearlessly championing the cause of true democracy and wanting the best for Nigeria.”
The cleric, who quoted the book of John chapter 18, reading from verses 37 and 38 to support his sermon, noted that the deceased was never a fair-weather politician, unlike many of today’s politicians who, he said, frequently “jump” from one political party to another.
Fape, whose sermon was themed “The Glory of a Purposeful Life,” lamented that the passing of ideological political figures like Chief Awolowo and Adebanjo could further accelerate the proliferation of political parties in Nigeria without any defined ideological structure.
“As we celebrate the purposeful life of Chief Ayo Adebanjo today, a progressive democrat par excellence, it is very sad that his exit, in addition to the earlier exit of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, would further increase the emergence of political parties in our nation without proper political ideological configuration.”
In the condolence message which he sent and read at the funeral service, former military head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, described late Pa Adebanjo as “a great federalist, a reliable and consistent fighter for democracy in Nigeria, whose loyalty and religious devotions are worth emulating by all Nigerians.”
Emphasizing that the vacuum created by his transition would be difficult to fill, Gen. Abubakar urged his family members to take solace in the memories of the principles and ideals which he stood for and died for.
