ELDER statesman and Afenifere chieftain, Ayo Adebanjo, is dead.
He died on Friday, February 14, at his Lekki home in Lagos State aged 96.
A statement jointly signed by his children, namely, Ayotunde Atteh, Adeola Azeez, and Obafemi Ayo-Adebanjo said he died peacefully.
“With a heart full of gratitude for a selfless life spent in the service of God, the nation, and humanity, we announce the passing on of our beloved patriarch, Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo.
“He died peacefully this morning, Friday, February 14, 2025, at his Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria, home at the age of 96. 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 family stated.
The statement described him as a foremost nationalist, elder statesman, distinguished lawyer, distinct politician, and a true apostle of federalism.
Adebanjo, a former organising secretary of Action Group and the national leader of Afenifere, was survived by his 94-year-old wife, Christy Ayo-Adebanjo, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Among others, Adebanjo will be remembered for his role in the 2023 election, where he led a faction of Afenifere to support the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.
According to him, Obi was the man that the group could trust to restructure the country.
A reporter with the ICIR
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