A former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, is dead. He was aged 65.

Agagu, who returned from the US on Thursday, reportedly slumped in Ikoyi, where he was having a meeting with Ondo indigenes, on Friday evening.

Agagu’s former Chief Press Secretary, Yemi Olowolabi, said the former governor was not sick and had just returned from a 20-day trip abroad.

Olowolabi, who worked with him for more than four years, described his former boss as “a great man, a first-class intellectual and an astute administrator.”

Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, described the death of his predecessor as shocking, adding that Ondo has lost a colossus, whose vacuum would be difficult to fill.

Mimiko said, “He would be remembered as a consummate politician and lecturer, who imparted knowledge to many people across the world.”

Former Governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba, told Saturday PUNCH on telephone that Agagu was very respectful.

He said, “I got to know him when he was deputy to former governor of old Ondo State, Bamidele Olomilua. He carried himself with dignity. He was loyal to Olomilua during the days of the Social Democratic Party. Agagu should rest in peace.”

In his reaction, former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, described Agagu’s death as shocking.

He said, “It is sad. He came back from abroad yesterday with his wife. They were having a meeting with Ondo State people. Alex Akinyele was there. He slumped. It is shocking, devastating. We will all miss him. I can’t believe he will just die.”

Agagu’s schoolmate at the University of Ibadan, Senator Olu Alabi, who is a former Governing Board Chairman, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said, “We were together in UI. We co-funded United Nigerian Congress Party and the Peoples Democratic Party. I don’t know what to tell his wife, Funke.”

Member, PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said: “This is tragic news. I’m shattered. He never held grudges.”

Director of Publicity, Ondo PDP, Mr Ayodele Fadaka, who broke down in tears over the phone, described the death of the late geologist as great loss to Ondo and Nigeria.

It was gathered that he ate lunch at home in Ikoyi before heading for a meeting on Lagos mainland, where he slumped.

Subsequently, he was rushed to a private hospital in Yaba but he was transferred to Military Hospital, Ikoyi, where he was pronounced dead.

His corpse was still at the military hospital as at the time of filing this report.

•Source: Saturday PUNCH. Photo shows late Dr. Agagu.