Obasanjo extols virtues of late Ibadan politician, Adelabu

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has extolled the virtues of the late Ibadan-born politician, Chief Adegoke Adelabu, popularly known as Penkelemesi, describing him as “a national politician.” Obasanjo spoke on Saturday when members of the Adelabu family paid him a courtesy visit at his Presidential Hilltop Estate residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The delegation, led by the eldest child, Mrs. Anifat Adelabu-Alli, had come as part of the activities to promote the proposed posthumous centenary birthday celebration of their father scheduled to hold on September 3. The late Adelabu, who died on March 20, 1958 at the age of 43, was an influential figure and leader of opposition in the defunct Western Region House of Assembly. Obasanjo, who accepted to be the chairman of the centenary birthday, promised to render necessary support to make the event memorable. The ex-president told Adelabu’s children that he shared in the view that their late father believed in one, united Nigeria and Africa in his lifetime. He noted that politics, as practised by Adelabu, must be above ethnicity, tribe and religion and should rather be used to uplift the people and unite the country. He said: “I believe that Adelabu deserves the honour you are planning for him.

We are still struggling to reach the pinnacle of Adelabu in politics of not being swayed by linguistic, tribal, regional, sectional but what is best for Nigeria. “He was years ahead of his contemporary politician. In his lifetime, he was talking about United States of West Africa. ECOWAS came many years after. “In his lifetime, he belonged to a political party that has its base outside the defunct Western Region, where he came from. He was not a tribal baron. He was a national politician. So, when you asked me to be a patron of Adelabu posthumous centenary birthday celebration, I have no reason to say no, because I shared in what Adelabu stood for.

“I shared Adelabu’s philosophy of one, united Nigeria. I shared his view of politics beyond ethnicity, tribalism and region. I am of the opinion that we must extol the virtues of the late politician in our national life. “He was a man of the people, down to earth and a man who believed that politics must be above ethnicity, tribal and must be to unite the country, and, of course, to uplift the people.”

Earlier in his remarks, the chairman, planning committee of the programme, Chief Lekan Alabi, said the children of the late Adelabu considered it worthy to honour their father with the event, which would also witness launch of a memorial foundation and lecture. “We are here today because of the forthcoming Adegoke Adelabu centenary posthumous celebration. We know you are an authority on the late Adelabu and that is why we are here to plead with you to be the grand patron of the ceremony slated for September 3,” he said.