A Former Governor of Kwara State and elder statesman, Senator Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, popularly called C. O. Adebayo, is dead.
He died on Wednesday at an Abuja hospital during a brief illness at the age of 84.
One of the Children of the deceased, a serving Commissioner in Kwara State, the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Mrs. Toyosi Thomas, confirmed the death of the former Governor in a telephone interview with Voice of Nigeria. VON.
“Yes, Daddy is dead, I’m on my way to Abuja now, he died in Abuja today at the age of 84,” she declared.
Chief Cornelius Adebayo,a University Don turned politician, made an incredible impact in Nigeria politics and contributed immensely to the project Kwara.
He is survived by children, grandchildren, including Engr. Olusegun Adebayo, the current Director General of NALDA, and Mrs. Toyosi Adebayo, the Commissioner for Livestock Development in Kwara State among others.
Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo was a renowned Nigerian politician and pro-democracy advocate who served as the Governor of Kwara State in 1983.
Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, Kwara State, Adebayo had a distinguished career in public service.
In a statement he personally issued on Wednesday, Kwara state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said, “I received with sadness but submission to the will of God the report of the death of His Excellency former Governor Cornelius Adebayo. He was 84.”
According to him, “C.O. Adebayo, as he was fondly called, was an all-time patriot, statesman, and progressive who represented great ideals and fought for good causes throughout his lifetime.
“With his carriage and roles at various levels of leadership, the former Governor stood tall and earned the respect and admiration of all. He left a fine legacy as a democrat who stood up at critical moments of our history.
“On behalf of the people and government of our state, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and associates at this difficult moment.”
He prayed that the Almighty will repose his gentle soul and give strength to all.
Emir of Ilorin mourns
Meanwhile, The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has commiserated with the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over the demise of former Governor Cornelius Adebayo.
Alhaji Sulu-Gambari, in a condolence message issued on Wednesday by his Press Secretary, Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona, described late C.O. Adebayo as an administrator par excellence and elder statesman.
He noted that the deceased contributed his quotas to the development of the state within his short period tenure in office as the Kwara State Governor before the military took over power in 1983.
Alhaji Sulu-Gambari however condoled the immediate and extended family members of the late Governor, government and people of Kwara State, his friends and political associates over the incident.
Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has also commiserated with the Government and people of Kwara State over the demise of a former Governor of the State, Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo.
Prof. Egbewole recalled the several roles played by the late Chief Adebayo in national development, particularly in the nation’s education sector, pointing out that the late elder statesman was a lecturer at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife; the former Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic), Ilorin, and Commissioner for Education in Kwara State in the late 1970s.
The Vice Chancellor also recalled that the tenure of Chief Adebayo as Kwara State Commissioner for Education coincided with the period when the University of Ilorin was taking shape as he said that the support enjoyed by the University from the government and people of Kwara State contributed to making the University what it has become.
The Vice Chancellor, who is the Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU), commiserated with the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, “on the death of a frontline leader.”
Early Life and Career
Born into a family in Igbaja, Kwara State, Chief Adebayo started his career as a lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University (then University of Ife). He was elected as a senator in 1979 under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He served briefly in 1983 as Governor of Kwara State before the military coup that ended Nigeria’s Second Republic.
Adebayo was Kwara State Commissioner for Education from 1975 to 1978. he later served as Minister of Communications from 2003 to 2006 under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
Some of his Key Achievement was the introduction of policies to expand access to quality education as Commissioner for Education among others.