In a statement he personally signed, the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi has congratulated Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo on the 95th anniversary of his birthday.
Obi stated that at a time like this, when Nigeria was in dire need of statesmen, Pa Adebanjo occupied a pride of place in the country.
According to him, the birth and upbringing of the foremost Yoruba leader prepared him for a balanced view of issues affecting the country, especially given that his father, Joel, was a Christian, while his mother, Salawatu, was a Muslim.
The ex-Anambra State governor recalled that Adebanjo grew up in the deep knowledge and love of the two dominant religions such that bigotry had no place in him.
Obi said: “Born on the 10th of April 1928 and lived his early life on Lagos Island, he was caught in the frenzy of nationalism, becoming a follower of Nnamdi Azikiwe as a young Zikist. But in 1951, when the great Awo formed the Action Group (AG) with its philosophy of federalism, it attracted young Adebanjo as one of the founders. He had, thus, learned at the feet of the greatest nationalists in our clime.”
“Papa Adebanjo was a renowned journalist, who later, since 1961, became a great legal practitioner, a combination of which made him an activist and politician.
“He has ever remained unwavering in the service of our country. So much committed is he to the cause of Awoism and Nigeria that he is today the only surviving disciple of Awolowo with whom the sage was charged in the infamous treasonable felony in 1962. With other leaders, he was in the frontline in the formation of NADECO, which forced the military out of our nation’s politics.
“So effective is Afenifere in this endeavour that there is hardly any notable politician, particularly, in the South-west who is not a product or beneficiary of its activism and activities.”
Obi described Adebanjo as a foremost delegate to the 2014 National Conference, explaining that when Adebanjo and other leaders initiated the “handshake across the Niger and Benue”, it was geared towards the needed unity of the country, with Adebanjo still crisscrossing the Nigerian landscape.
Obi added that the history of the 2023 elections would be incomplete without the records of the incomparable sacrifice of Adebanjo for the unity and progress of the nation, which he continued to pursue beyond any shadow of doubt.
“As we celebrate this great nationalist, a gift of God to our country and humanity, we pray for his greater service to the nation in good health and long life, far longer than his father, who joined his Creator at the age of only 105 years,” Obi said.