- He was a worthy ambassador of Yoruba culture – Atiku
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, as a voice for Nigeria’s unity.
While condoling Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the family of Oba Adeyemi, and the entire people of Oyo on the transition, the former president said the deceased monarch was a symbol of Nigeria’s epic struggle for self-discovery and self-actualisation.
He stated that the late highly revered monarch was a patriotic and respected traditional ruler who had immeasurable love for his people and great faith in a united Nigeria.
“He (Alaafin) stood out as a voice of forthrightness in national affairs, and he was as well a fervent promoter of mutual tolerance and understanding, not only among the diverse people who live in his domain but also across the country,” the elder statesman was quoted as saying in a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi.
According to him, it was during Oba Adeyemi’s reign that Oyo town got transformed into the modern city that it has become and his contribution to nation-building was also acknowledged in the conferment of the esteemed national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, on him and other honorary degrees that he received from Nigerian and outside educational institutions.
Also former Vice President and Presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, while reacting in a statement by his spokesperson Paul Ibe, stated that the Alaafin was a worthy ambassador of Yoruba culture.
Describing his passage as a great loss for Nigeria and Africa culture at large, the PDP chieftain said that the Oba Adeyemi displayed royal elegance.
Atiku recalled that his last encounter with Oba Adeyemi was in Ibadan during the coronation of Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Lekan Balogun.
“I admired the royal splendour of Oba Adeyemi and the fact that he remains the longest serving Alaafin means that Oyo and indeed Nigerians will not forget his reign,” the Waziri of Adamawa said.
Atiku noted that he is deeply touched by the news of Oba Adeyemi’s demise, sending his condolences to the immediate family, Governor Seyi Makinde and the people and government of Oyo State.
He prayed to Allah to grant the soul of the late king a gentle repose and to give his immediate family and the people of Oyo Kingdom the fortitude to bear the loss of a great monarch.
