Afenifere Diaspora United States of America, has joined all Nigerians across the world to mourn leader of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba organization, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, who died at the age of 96.

According to the group, information gathered revealed that Pa Adebanjo passed away peacefully on the morning of Friday, February 14, 2025, at his residence in Lekki, Lagos State.

In a press statement signed by both Prof. Sikiru Fadairo, Leader Of Afenifere Diaspora USA, and Comrade David Adenekan, Secretary of Afenifere Diaspora USA, the group described the passing of Pa. Ayo Adebanjo as “A Gargantuan loss And A Vacuum Too Big To Be Filled As We Celebrate His Life After Death.”

The group made reference to a quote by English author, George Elliott; "Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them."

To immortalize his outstanding personality and leadership, the group said, "Pa. Ayodele Samuel Adebanjo “die not” as we continue to embrace and practice his legacies of fairness, equity and justice in our national polity, even in the deadly face of intimidation and countless "naked powers" display by the power that be."

The statement further reads: "Suffice it to say, death has done its worse, Pa. Ayodele Samuel Adebanjo has peacefully joined our ancestors in the world beyond, it is indeed a life well spent but left a gargantuan loss and a vacuum too big to be filled for humanity.”

“The entire family of Afenifere Diaspora USA, including our able and indefatigable leader, Prof. Sikiru Fadairo join the national leadership of Afenifere, the entire Yoruba at home and abroad, and Nigeria to mourn and celebrate a life well spent of Pa. Ayo Samuel Adebanjo.”

"We are mourning and celebrating the passing away of another sage in the history of humanity, a man that has sacrificed his personal enjoyment of life with the great burden of selfless service to humanity, it does not matter ‘whose ox is gored,’ he spoke the truth to power,” the group stated.

Speaking on the paradox of life, the statement disclosed that, "Pa. Ayo Samuel Adebanjo in his entire life, stood for justice, equity and fairness. A case in point was his determination to give the South-East geo-political zone a fair share of the rotational presidency among the six geo-political zones to underscore the need for fairness, justice and equity.”

"Pa. Ayo Adebanjo, you die not as your philosophy of fairness, equity, justice, and the principle of all-inclusiveness in our national polity will forever remain a placard in the minds of generations to come."

It then begs for the fundamental question, “Can the Yorubas as a people in dire need of purposeful and visionary leadership, fill the big vacuum you have left behind?”

"The above fundamental question brings to light that your passing away is truly a gargantuan loss and creates a leadership vacuum,” the group said.

"Again, Pa Ayodele Samuel Adebanjo’s exit to the mortal world is another passing away of a sage in the history of Yoruba as a people and the entire humanity.”

"Yes, another sage is gone; it is the beginning of a new dawn, and whose head will fit the cap for the evolution of a new era in the entire Afenifere family?”

"What a transition!

"Pa. Ayo Samuel Adebanjo sunre o, (rest in peace).

"A big elephant has fallen (erin wo) in the forest but you die not.

"Pa. Ayodele Samuel Adebanjo, you die not.”

"REST IN PEACE."