AYO ADEBANJO: JOURNALIST-TURNED-LAWYER WHO CHAMPIONED DEMOCRACY TAKES FINAL BOW
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AYO ADEBANJO: JOURNALIST-TURNED-LAWYER WHO CHAMPIONED DEMOCRACY TAKES FINAL BOW
Foremost nationalist and elder statesman, Pa Ayodele Adebanjo, died on Friday at the age of 96.
A statement by his family disclosed that the chieftain of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, died at his Lekki, Lagos State residence.
Below are the things to know about late Adebanjo
Late Adebanjo was born in Isanya Ogbo, a village near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, South-West Nigeria, on April 10, 1928.
The elder statesman began his political journey in 1943 as a follower of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe before joining the Action Group in 1951.
The Afenifere chieftain was also a mentee and political disciple of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Adebanjo was initially a journalist before studying law in the United Kingdom. After completing his studies, he was called to the English Bar in 1961.
However, in 1951, he became a member of the Action Group youth wing and later became the organising secretary of the party.
The deceased fled to Ghana in 1962 following Awolowo’s treasonable felony trial and was charged alongside 30 others.
He was arrested and detained multiple times for his political stance and activism.
Adebanjo played a major role in the National Democratic Coalition protests following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election.
He was a leading voice in the call for Nigeria’s restructuring and regional autonomy.
The late lawyer was a member of both the 1978 Constituent Assembly and the 2014 National Political Conference.
The Afenifere leader was a leading voice in the call for Nigeria’s restructuring and regional autonomy.
Adebanjo remained active and vocal in Nigerian politics until his death, throwing his weight alongside his Afenifere group behind the candidacy of Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election.
Adebanjo is survived by his 94-year-old wife, Chief Christy Ayo-Adebanjo, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
CREDIT: THE PUNCH
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