Family members, friends and political gladiators across parties last Friday gathered in Ibadan for one year remembrance/fidau prayers of the former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi.
The immediate past governor, who governed the state for two consecutive terms of eight years, died on June 25, 2020 at a Lagos hospital following reported complications arising from Covid-19 infection.
The late Ajimobi died at the age of 70 years and at the time of his death, he was the deputy national chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Fidau prayer, which took place at his Oluyole residence, Ibadan, had dignitaries from within and outside the state in attendance.
Read Also: Ex-Gov. Ajimobi laid to rest buried in Ibadan
In his sermon at the ceremony, popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Muhyideen Ajani Bello urged politicians to do good things for people to remember them for good.
Bello, accompanied by Sheikh Habeebullahi Buhari, Bashir Olanrewaju, Mudathir Bada, Salauddeen Adekilekun and Abdul-Ganiyy Abdulsalam admonished the political class to move closer to the people at the grassroots with a view to getting their feelings and meeting their needs.
Closeness to the people, he pointed out, would give them sense of belonging and make it easier for the government to deliver good governance to them.
Going by present challenges in the country, Bello noted that Nigeria has entered a “one chance” alleging that President Muhammadu Buhari as a leader was already tired of the situation.
“The whole of Nigeria is in ‘one chance’. What is happening in Maiduguri? Do we end it? So, the whole of Nigeria, we are in ‘one chance’.
“We are in one chance because Buhari as a leader is already tired of what is happening in this country.
I don’t need to talk much about it, the only solution is to pray to Allah. Not one person, everybody is to pray to Allah. That is what can help us to overcome the problem,” he said.
Some of the dignitaries at the event included, Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, his counterpart from Ondo, Lucky Ayedatiwa; former governor of Oyo State, Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, his wife, Kemi.
Other dignitaries included Chairman, Senate committee on Land Transport, Abdulfatai Buhari, Senator Teslim Folarin, former Commissioner for Finance in Oyo State, Zachueus Adelabu; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite and Olasunkanmi Tegbe.
Oyo State Deputy Governor, Olaniyan while speaking said that Ajimobi has done his best for the state.
Senator Buhari in an interview with journalists, described Ajimobi as an epitome of everything.
He added that the former governor left a good legacy behind, saying “he is my former boss. He is an epitome of everything. He has come and gone.
The most important thing is that he played his role and he has left a legacy. Not just a legacy but a good legacy.”
Oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said that the memory and legacy of the late political leader Abiola Ajimobi would remain indelible in the hearts of the people of the society who value quality leadership, good governance and rare virtues in man.
