The death of Pa Ayo Adebanjo on February 14, 2025 at 96 has robbed the Yoruba nation and indeed Nigeria of one of the dogged fighters for an egalitarian society. The progressive politician, lawyer and elder statesman was born on April 10, 1928, in Isanya Ogbo-Ijebu, Ogun State.

Until his death, he remained true to his ideological persuasion which was influenced by the ideals of Nigeria’s independence struggle, first as a Zikist and member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, NCNC, in 1943 and later as a disciple of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group, AG.

Right from 1951 when he joined the youth wing of the AG and became Awolowo’s political acolyte, Adebanjo’s unwavering loyalty to Awoism, a guiding light towards achieving genuine democracy and good governance, remained rock-solid till the end.

Following the revival of Egbe Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural and political interest group under Pa Adekunle Ajasin in the early 1990s, Adebanjo was very active in the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, which Afenifere became part of, to oust military rule and restore Chief Moshood Abiola’s annulled presidential mandate in 1993.

His defiance against military impunity as a key NADECO figure, led him to prison. Through Afenifere/NADECO, Adebanjo and his comrades campaigned for fiscal and true federalism, restructuring, power shift and rotational presidency. Following the sudden demise of General Sani Abacha in June 1998, Adebanjo and his Afenifere colleagues formed the Alliance for Democracy, AD, which swept all six South-West States in 1999.

As the leader of Afenifere in his twilight years, Adebanjo became a strong voice of conscience. His personal advocacy for social justice and equality transcended ethnic and regional biases. During the 2023 political season, Afenifere factionalised, with Adebanjo’s group insisting it was the turn of Igbo to produce Nigeria’s president, while the group loyal to Pa Reuben Fasoranti supported Bola Tinubu.

Adebanjo played prominent roles in ensuring that the periodic tensions that threatened the peaceful cohabitation of the Yoruba and Igbo elements in the Lagos area between 2020 and 2024 never erupted into open ethnic conflict.“As Adebanjo’s remains are buried on Saturday, May 3, 2025, we urge Nigerians to emulate his ideological consistency, commitment to true federalism and advocacy for equity. Adebanjo showed that being the leader of an ethnic interest group should not rob a person of his sense of fairness and justice, which are the foundations for peace and development. Our political leaders should heed his call for true federalism, restructuring and entrenchment of the rule of law.

Born to Chief Joel Adedairo Adebanjo and Madam Salawatu Adebanjo on April 10, 1928, Pa Adebanjo was educated in Lagos, called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, England in 1961 and started his legal career in the Obafemi Awolowo Chambers.

May his soul rest in peace.