Politicians yesterday pushed aside their political differences to honour one of their own, as the final journey of the late ex-Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala began with a Day of Tributes in Ibadan.
A retired federal permanent secretary and lecturer, National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos, Prof Tunji Olaopa, said what Nigeria needed ahead of the 2023 general election was motivated politicians, not mere political jobbers.
The ceremony, held at Jogor Event Centre, Liberty Road, Ibadan was organised by the Oyo State political class, in collaboration with the state government.
The programme kick-started week-long funeral activities lined up to pay last respects to Alao-Akala, who will be buried on Friday in Ogbomoso.
Alao-Akala died on January 12 at his Ogbomoso home at the age of 71.
Olaopa, the founder of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP), described the deceased governor as an example of a motivated politician.
He said: “Whatever motivates anyone running for office, the critical matter is that such a person must be ready to do whatever it takes to make life more abundantly richer than what exists before he or she gets there. This is what it means to make politics the act of the possible, and Alao-Akala was our exemplar.
“The question for the political class, taking a cue or the baton from him (Alao-Akala) is therefore to keep pushing the political interest of their constituencies, while forging alliances that are critical to the fruition of a political culture and resilience that are required to build a strong and prosperous Nigerian state, overall, with sensitivity to better harness our diversity to not only position the Southwest in the larger federation, but also to salvage our ailing and failing Nigerian nation-state.”
Dignitaries at the event included former Minister of Sports and Youth Development Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state Isaac Omodewu, senators Kola Balogun (PDP Oyo South) and Abdulfatai Bihari (APC Oyo North), legal luminaries Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Akin Onigbinde (SAN), and Alhaja Bose Adedibu, wife of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.
The roll call also included stalwarts of PDP and APC, including Dr. Saka Balogun (former member, Board of Trustees of PDP), Remi Oseni (a business mogul), Lowo Obisesan (former Commissioner for Environment), Ademola Ojo (former Chairman, Ibarapa Central), Kunle Ishola (former Commissioner for Agriculture), Lanrewaju Otiti (former aspirant of Oyo South Senatorial District.)