Pa Ayo Adebanjo: The man, his legacies
By Chidi Abajue
Picking one’s tasks and taking one’s bearings, one must at least be a bit of a historian to be consciously and conscientiously active citizen – V. O. Kliuchevsky
Writing on the topic: Idiots, tribesmen and citizens: Between ancient Greeks and modern day Nigerians, Victor Anazonwu described citizens as those who have “mindsets and skill sets to live public lives. They were inclusive, selfless and imbued with a sense of the common good. They understood that there was a connection between individual and collective interests; that unbridled seeking of individual or small group interests was ultimately harmful to self and society. So they were willing to make sacrifices in exchange for a bigger and better world for all. They knew that rights came with responsibilities and embraced both. They were the ideal members of society, according to the Greeks.”
If not for a handful of fearless men like Pa Ayo Adebanjo – the quintessential leader of the Yoruba Socio-cultural group – Afenifere, any conversation on the political dynamics of the present day Nigeria would, without mention of any statesmen, have been a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
The late Pa Ayo Adebanjo spent the last decades of his life preaching, practising and struggling for an enduring and pragmatic socio-political unification of Nigeria on the basis of fairness, equity and justice. Like a voice in the wilderness, the nonagenarian selflessly traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria proclaiming that though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand. To Pa Adebanjo, Nigeria cannot occupy a place of pride among the comity of nations under the leadership of idiots and tribesmen.
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- AASDU President Chief Amechi Ebeledike with Chief Ayo Adebanjo during a courtesy visit by some Igbo leaders to his Lagos home in 2023
From the coterie of presidential contenders in the last election, Pa Adebanjo with audacity of courage and intuitive foresight, declared Peter Obi as the only candidate with the best leadership credentials needed for genuine socio-economic resuscitation of Nigeria. Furthermore, the great sage saw the emergence of Peter Obi – a Nigerian of Igbo extraction as a divine opportunity to heal the age long wounds of ethnicity and mediocrity in Nigeria’s political leadership. Like Simeon at the presentation of Jesus in the temple, Pa Adebanjo sacrificed the last of his being towards the long awaited possible birth of a new Nigeria.
Preaching from the departure hall of life, he warned of the looming dangers of enthroning ethnicity and religion over competence and capacity in political leadership emergence in Nigeria. Pa Adebanjo defied all physical weaknesses associated with age to ensure an end to ethnic marginalisation and uplift competence and capacity in the selection process of political leadership.
- Chief Ebeledike signing the condolence register at Chief Adebanjo’s Lagos home
In his 90s, Pa Adebanjo selflessly picked his end life tasks and bearings based on objective analysis of life experiences, global history and divine wisdom. In addressing his audience, he was as lucid as a historian, didactic as a preacher, courageous as a soldier, and dispassionate as a judge. In all these, he was characteristically indifferent to both praises and curses from his audience. He was only mindful of saving ‘Nineveh’ from the path of self-destruction. At a point in time, due to clash of engagements, Pa Adebanjo sent Segun, his son, to AASDU Lagos meeting for an important conversation with the leadership of Ndi-Anambra. This can only be from an unpretentious citizen who loves his nation so much as to mentor his son on the mindsets and skill sets of nation building.
Today, Pa Adebanjo is gone, having done his best preaching to men without ears. On the contours of his face as he lies in state, the Association of Anambra State Development Unions (AASDU) Lagos can clearly read: Who will love Nigeria like I did?
Adieu, the great sage.
- Abajue, Chidi B; mnipr, rpa, mcimn, publicity secretary of the Association of Anambra State Development Unions (AASDU) Lagos, wrote this tribute on behalf of the association
