His life, times
By Oluseye Ojo
Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo, popularly known as Pa Ayo Adebanjo, a foremost nationalist and an elder statesman, would have turned 97 years on April 10, 2025. He would have celebrated his birthday with glowing tributes from different quarters.
But death did not allow him. He died on Valentine day on Friday February 14, 2025, about 2:00a.m.
The trio of his children, Mrs Ayotunde Atteh, Mrs Adeola Azeez, and Mr. Obafemi Ayo-Adebanjo, confirmed the demise of their patriarch on Friday in a statement they signed on behalf of the family.
The statement stated that the distinguished lawyer, former organising secretary of the defunct Action Group, and national leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, breathed his last peacefully in the morning of Friday morning at his residence in Lekki, Lagos State.
He is survived by his 94-year-old wife, Chief Christy Ayo-Adebanjo, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
“We will forever cherish his commitment to fighting for truth, equity, and justice. His belief and struggle for a truly independent and progressive Nigeria was total, and this he fought for until he breathed his last breath,” the statement added.
According to the family, consultations have kicked-off with his friends, associates, and various interest groups within an outside Nigeria to finalise plans for a befitting funeral.
Condolence registers have also been opened at his residence at 8, Ayo Adebanjo Close, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; as well as his country home in Isanya Ogbo, near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
Birth, education, journalism practice
He was born in Ijebu Ogbu Oke in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State on April 10, 1928. His parents were Chief Joel Adedairo Adebanjo and Salawatu Anomo Adebanjo. He started his education at Saint Saviour’s Primary School, Elegbaata in Lagos, between 1934 and 1935. From there, He proceeded to Holy Trinity School, Ebute Ero in 1937. He was there till 1941 when he proceeded to Cathedral School in Lagos till 1943.
He worked in the Ministry of Health in Lagos briefly before his appointment was terminated for being rude to an expatriate after a demonstration for self-government.
He had a brief time in an Ikorodu trading company because the political leaders felt they could not find a job for him in government ministries. From there, he joined the Nigerian Tribune as a journalist under the late Olabisi Onabanjo. It was there that he was recruited into the Action Group as pioneer organising secretary. He held the position from 1947 to 1953 when he proceeded to the United Kingdom to read Law. He entered the Council of Legal Education and was called to the Bar in Lincocin City in 1961.
Back to Nigeria, he joined Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s chambers as a practising lawyer until the crisis of the Action Group in 1966, where leaders of the party were charged for treasonable felony. He was one of the accused.
He was in Ghana on exile from 1966 to 1967. Thereafter, he was released by the General Yakubu Gowon Government. He joined Chief Awolowo again to form the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) prior to the 1979 general elections. After that, he went into full legal practice. He was in the UPN mobilisation group as a professional.
Journalism experience
Adebanjo spoke in one or his interviews on his experience in journalism. He stated: “It was blissful. It exposed me to the public. It was there I cut my love for the legal profession. I followed lots of lawyers such as the late Fani-Kayode, Rotimi Williams, and so on. The way Fani-Kayode dressed impressed me. I was made to cover the courts with my secondary school certificate. I was employed as a reporter. From there, I was recruited as the pioneer organising secretary for the Action Group.”
2014 National Conference
He was a member of the 2014 National Conference, which was convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan. To him the 2014 Conference was a reflection of the 1963 constitutional conference.
“It established federalism, regionalism and separation of powers. People are just being mischievous about the whole thing. We are not practising federalism in the real sense of it, “he said.
Support for Peter Obi/Crisis in Afenifere
In the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, Chief Adebanjo declared his support for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, with his camp in Afenifere supporting his move.
This did not go down well with a number of people from the South West, especially since Afenfere is a Yoruba organisation. His critics preferred him supporting President Bola Tinubu, a fellow Yoruba man.
At that point, Afenifere was fractionalised into two with him leading one, and Chief Reuben Fasoranti leading the one that supported President Bola Tinubu. The crisis was not resolved between the two factions till his demise.
But everywhere Chief Adebanjo went, he defended his choice: “There is true discrimination against igbo. The South-East is particularly marginalised. Let us not deceive ourselves. We need not pretend. If we want everyone together, we must satisfy them. Power should be devolved to every region of the country as we had it during independence; that’s all.
“The moment we do that, all the regional pressure groups will vanish. If the government had taken appropriate steps to restructure the country, the IPOB wouldn’t have raised its head. We are also keeping the Oduduwa Republic.
“The issue of unity is not in doubt, nobody is ready to break. What is being questioned is the condition of the unity, which has departed from what we had at independence.”