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By Cosmas Omegoh
As the world mourns former Afenifere titan, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Ohanaeze Ndibgo chieftain and President, Cultural Credibility Development Initiative (CCDI), Ide Goddy Uwazurike, says a colossus has fallen.
Pa Adebanjo died last Friday morning, February 14, 2025, at his residence in Lekki, Lagos State.
Uwazuruike in a release he jointly signed with the secretary of CCDI, Steve Nwabuko, described late Adebanjo as a man of “many things to many people, a detribalised Nigerian, an astute politician, and an articulate parliamentarian.”
The duo recalled that “Pa Ayo Adebanjo had wished to see an Igbo become the President of Nigeria in his lifetime and was expecting Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be released from detention in the same manner other treasonable felony cases have been dispensed with either by forgiveness or reversal by state pardon, but these never came to happen in his lifetime.”
Then they asked: “While we mourn the exit of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Ndigbo Worldwide are saying, whence cometh another bridge builder from the South West to succour us in the manner Pa Ayo Adebanjo did identify with Igbo neglect, derision, deprivation and denigration in Nigeria?”
They noted that “as Igbo pray for the peaceful repose of the beautiful soul of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, and submit to his glorious home call to eternal blitz, we send heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, his friends and associates, to the Yoruba race worldwide and to Nigeria as a whole.”
CCDI maintained that Pa Adebanjo was “a philanthropist par excellence, a man of peace, vigour and essence of the political school of thought of the legendary and erudite politician, Pa Obafemi Awolowo of the Action Group class of political egalitarianism, equity, justice and good conscience.
“Pa Ayo Adebanjo lived out these noble virtues in his private and public life leading to his remaining a political activist as a nonagenarian and an astute voice against nepotism, tribalism, cronyism and the descent to the rise of mediocres as national and political party leaders.
“Pa Ayo Adebanjo was until his death, the leader of the notable Pan Yoruba group, Afenifere, through which he preached and lived unity, fairness, respect for national ethos and values, equality, rule of law, power sharing, election fairness, equity, good governance and respect for human lives and dignity.
“Pa Ayo Adebanjo was one of the founders of the Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt Coalition (SN-MBC) consisting of South West, South East, South South and North Central geopolitical zones for the single purpose of power rotation and access to national political leadership without subterfuge, let or hindrance.”
