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Nation Bids Farewell To Ayo Adebanjo As Obasanjo, Osinbajo, Peter Obi, Governors Honour Yoruba Leader
As tributes poured in, a common theme resonated: Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s life remains a blueprint for principled leadership and an enduring symbol of hope for a truly federal and just Nigeria.
Abeokuta, Ogun State– The ancient town of Isanya Ogbo in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State witnessed a convergence of Nigeria’s top political leaders and dignitaries on Saturday as the remains of the late Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, were laid to rest.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and the Governors of Ogun, Lagos, and Oyo States—Dapo Abiodun, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Seyi Makinde—joined hundreds of mourners to pay their last respects to the 96-year-old nationalist, lawyer, and elder statesman.
Adebanjo, a close associate of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and an unflinching voice for restructuring and federalism, died on February 14 in Lagos.
At the funeral service held at St Philip Anglican Church in his hometown, Governor Abiodun described the deceased as “a titan of integrity and justice,” hailing his lifelong fight for democratic ideals and opposition to military dictatorship.
“Chief Adebanjo persistently argued that Nigeria’s over-centralised system bred economic imbalance and ethnic tension,” Abiodun said.
“He revitalised Afenifere into a potent democratic force advocating regional integration and restructuring.”
The governor praised Adebanjo’s unwavering stance against corruption, nepotism, and impunity, describing him as “a moral compass for the nation.”
Ministering at the service, the Archbishop of the Lagos Ecclesiastical Province and Bishop of the Remo Diocese, Bishop Michael Fape, delivered a sermon titled “The Purpose of a Glorious Life,” urging Nigerians to emulate Adebanjo’s legacy of selflessness, justice, and service to humanity.
Bishop Fape likened Adebanjo’s mission to that of Christ, saying he “fearlessly stood for democracy, good governance, equity, and fairness.”
Other dignitaries at the burial included former Ogun governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun, CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso, former Deputy Governor Adegbenga Kaka, and veteran Yoruba leader Chief Ayo Opadokun.
