Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday, paid glowing tribute to the late Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, who died on Friday at 96, describing him as a great man, a committed nationalist, an effective representative of his people and an unpretentious personality.

Obasanjo who’s away in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he is currently attending the 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly, said Adebanjo’s death is a personal loss to him.

The former President in a tribute made available to newsmen by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, recalled his last moment with Adebanjo when he visited him at his Lagos residence.

Obasanjo said his last visit to Adebanjo was on February 3, 2025 at his Lekki residence, saying although he was in such “a fragile state, he had no inkling he would “leave us so soon.”

He said “The unfortunate news came to me as a shock because when last I visited him on February 3, 2025 at his Lekki residence, though he was in such a fragile state, I had no inkling he would leave us so soon. His transition is, no doubt, a huge loss not only to me and to Ogun State but also to the country as a whole. He was a great man, a committed nationalist and an effective representative of his people.”

Obasanjo who said he often called the deceased “Egbon Ayo”, also recalled how they both had disagreement while he was Nigeria’s President.

“As a democratically-elected President of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, we both sometimes disagreed to agree to be committed to regenerate and reposition our country to meet the hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian people and chart the course to our nation’s glorious future.

“He was such an unpretentious personality! His thoughts, utterances and deeds were completely devoid of political partisanship. He had friends from all over the country and he led a life filled with remarkable experiences.

“Until his death, he fought with courage and tenacity to see to the restructuring of the Nigerian nation through which good governance based on democratic principles and practice and leading to unity in diversity, justice and equity, political stability, nationalism, popular participation, peace and security and socio-economic progress with strong leadership would be enshrined.

“It is unfortunate that his dream to see this through couldn’t be actualised in his lifetime. Indeed, Chief Adebanjo’s contributions to the strengthening of our fledgling democracy will be missed by the entire nation,” he said.

While commiserating with his immediate and extended family members, he prayed that God will grant them and the rest of us, his friends and admirers, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

“I will undoubtedly miss my amazing and beloved Egbon Ayo, with the hope to continue to hold on to the good and remarkable memories we had together, till we meet to part no more,” Obasanjo stated. (Courtesy, excluding headline, Daily Trust)