First Republic politician, Wunmi Adegbonmire, is dead; Tinubu, others mourn
A First Republic politician, Chief Wunmi Adegbonmire, is dead.
Adegbonmire’s departure became public on Friday.
And shortly after, reactions have been coming in on his death.
Former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described Adegbonmire as a man of honor and integrity.
In a statement on Saturday, Tinubu said: “So soon after the transition of former Oyo State Governor and frontline ACN leader, Alhaji Lam Adesina, I was saddened to receive the news of the death this morning of another Titan of the decades long progressive struggle to transform Nigeria and salvage her from the debilitating grip of underdevelopment. I refer to none other but Chief Wunmi Adegbonmire, one of Nigeria’s most consistent progressive leaders who made such invaluable contributions to the evolution of our politics in the south west and Ondo state in particular where he hailed from. Yes, Chief Adegbonmire led a truly fulfilling and inspiring life. In his loyalty to progressive values and his fidelity to the principles of honor and integrity, he was as constant as the Northern star; as immovable as the rock of Gilbratar. We should therefore not mourn but rather celebrate his eventful life. But it is sad that this rare tribe of committed, sincere, passionate and vastly experienced politicians and statesmen are diminishing at the very time when Nigeria is sinking ever deeper into the abyss and their counsel and guidance is most needed to redeem our people from poverty and avoidable indignity.
“Chief Adegbonmire was a staunch member of the Action Group in the first republic when, under Chief OBAFEMI Awolowo’s inspirational leadership, Western Nigeria was propelled on a trajectory of social, economic political and infrastructural development that is still unparalleled in Africa. He remained staunchly faithful and loyal to his party and leader even through the darkest periods of treachery and betrayal. In the second republic, he was a key member of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and part of the path breaking Governor Adekunle Ajasin’s team that achieved still unsurpassed feats of development in Ondo State. He was also a strong back bone of the Chief Adefarati administration in Ondo state on the progressive platform of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) at the inception of this dispensation in 1999.
“Chief Adegbonmire was a symbol of dependability. He did not predicate his progressive ideology simply on his closeness to Chief AWOLOWO or Papa Ajasin’s while dining and wining with those who stand for the very opposite of what these avatars epitomized. As a passionate and steadfast leader of our party, the ACN, he was undoubtedly fulfilled and elated not only by the redemption of the South West from the claws of the conservative vultures and scavengers in the corridors of power in the region between 2003and 2007 but also the giant developmental strides being undertaken across the region on the dynamic platform of the ACN.
“Yet, as a patriot and nationalist, he must have been saddened that a greatly endowed country like Nigeria , a potential giant of the black race, is a pathetic picture today of humiliating poverty, chronic violence, crippling underdevelopment and virtual state collapse. But then, Chief Adegbonmire taught us never to despair. He inspired us never to give up hope. He challenged us never to relent in the struggle. He admonished us never to be intimidated by falsehood and blackmail. He encouraged us to believe that light will ultimately triumph over darkness and truth over falsehood. With his inspiration and example as our beacon and guide, the liberation and genuine transformation of Nigeria is only a matter of time.
“This great leader was one of the longest serving members of the old guard politicians reputed for being principled and progressive in orientation. Adegbonmire epitomizes discipline, dedication, conviction and patriotism unequalled in his brand of politics. A firm believer in the notion that politics must be to serve the public good and not to be used to exploit the people, Adegbonmire invested his intellect and resources for the advancement of the society.
“When the history of our political development is written in the southwest and Nigeria at large, Omo Ekun as he was popularly called will be penned down as a political Titan, a quIet but effective mobilizer and a purveyor of genuinely progressive politics. I condolence with the people of Ondo state on the transition of a man who became a legend in his life time. May God console his family and loved ones even as they carry aloft the noble and lofty banner he left behind. Omo Ekun, you left an enviable legacy. Sun re O!”
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State described the death of Adegbonmire as a monumental loss to the progressive camp in the country.
The governor, in a message issued on Saturday in Ibadan by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said he received the news of the death of the elder statesmen with shock and disbelief.
Ajimobi, while acknowledging the immense contributions of the late Chief Adegbonmire to the growth and development of progressivism in Nigeria, said but for his efforts and those of other progressives, the South West geopolitical zone would have continued to be under the stranglehold of the conservatives.
Recalling Adegbonmire’s contributions to the public sphere as a columnist with the Nigerian Tribune both during the First and Second Republics, Ajimobi said that Adegbonmire’s comments shaped the politics of the time and defined the role of the progressives in politics.
“Omo Ekun was unsparing of the conservatives and their ill-advised policies. Soaked in vitriol and unapologetic about its convictions, no study of the politics of the time, especially the way journalism shaped politics, could be complete without a mention of the contributions of Adegbonmire’s Omo Ekun,” Ajimobi said.
He particularly extolled the virtues of the late former Secretary to the Ondo State Government during the administration of the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, describing him as a bridge-builder and principled politician who would stop at nothing in the pursuit of his beliefs and convictions.
Ajimobi lauded the patriotic instinct of the late politician, saying that his departure had robbed the South West of his wealth of experience needed at this critical time to bring the zone out of its current socio-economic challenges.
Although the governor said that Chief Adegbonmire’s passage was disheartening and painful, he, however, urged his family, friends and associates to take solace in the fact that the late politician lived fulfilled life and did his best for his fatherland.
The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, described Adegbonmire as one of the pillars of democracy in the South West in particular and Nigeria in general.
Fayemi, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Olayinka Oyebode, said Adegbonmire was one of the most reliable Awoists who never wavered in the cause he believed in until he breathed his last.
He said Adegbonmire believed in the ideology of the progressives which he preached throughout his lifetime.
The governor noted that Adegbonmire excelled in all the responsibilities given him in the party and government, most significantly as the Secretary to the State Government in the late Adebayo Adefarati administration.
Fayemi also recalled roles played by the late Adegbonmire in the last governorship election in Ondo State in which party members looked up to him for direction and wise counsel.
He urged the family members of the deceased to be consoled by the good life he lived especially his selfless service to mankind and readiness to stand by the truth always.
“While we mourn the exit of this great politician, we are consoled by the good life he lived and pray that God will grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” the statement added.