Ayo Adebanjo: South West Govs Pledge To Give Late Afenifere Leader Befitting Burial

Governors from the South-West geopolitical zone have pledged that they will properly bury the late elder statesman and Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

Naija News reports that Adebanjo died last week Friday at the age of 96.

During a condolence visit to Adebanjo’s home in Lekki, the Governor of Lagos State and Chairman of the South-West Governors Forum, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stated that Adebanjo’s absence has left a big void, particularly within Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation.

Sanwo-Olu, joined by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and other top government officials, praised the late nationalist as “a true Omoluabi” who bridged ethnic and cultural boundaries.

“We will actively participate in giving him a befitting farewell,” the Lagos State Governor noted.

Recognizing the elder statesman’s lasting impact, the governor prayed for God to console Adebanjo’s family and the Yoruba race.

Sanwo-Olu also honoured Chief Edwin Clark, another national leader who died four days after Adebanjo.

In order to shape Nigeria’s future, he urged politicians to follow in the footsteps of both statesmen.

Meanwhile, former President Muhammadu Buhari has described the late Federal Commissioner for Information, Edwin Clark, as an iconic statesman,

Naija News reported that Chief Clark died on Monday night.

Nigerian political actors, including President Bola Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, among many others, have expressed grief at his death.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Garba Shehu, Buhari noted that the former leader of the Pan Niger Delta Development Forum (PANDEF) dedicated his life to the development of his community and the nation.

Calling him an “iconic statesman“, the former president said the late Clark was a leader dedicated to reforms whose commitment to the development of his community and the nation would always be remembered.

The former President said the late Ijaw leader had left an indelible imprint on the nation and that in his passing, Nigeria had lost an iconic statesman and a distinguished leader, adding that his commitment to the unity of the country would be respected by generations to come.

He urged the Clark family and fellow citizens in the Delta region of the country to uphold his numerous achievements.