26th June, 2020
By Florence Onuegbu
Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has expressed sadness over the demise of former governor of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi.
Sanwo-Olu, in a statement, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile, on Thursday described the death of Ajimobi as a great loss to his family, the people of the Oyo State and the country as a whole.
He said that Ajimobi’s death, after all efforts by medical professionals to stabilise him when he took ill, had opened a deep sore in the hearts of millions of Nigerians who looked up to him as a rallying point and a political stabiliser.
”The passage of Senator Ajimobi hurt me. My heart was filled with grief when I was informed that I had lost another political icon in our battle against the coronavirus.
”Senator Ajimobi was more than a politician, he was a man of many parts whose managerial skills and experience are required at this critical period in our national life.
”Senator Ajimobi was a distinguished Nigerian who bestrode the economic and political space of the country like a colossus.
“He made his mark in the corporate world before venturing into politics.
”As first elected governor to serve two terms in Oyo State, his achievements will remain indelible in the annals of political history of that state and Nigeria as a whole,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor commiserated with the deceased’s family, saying that the death of loved ones was usually one of the most painful episodes in people’s lives although death was inevitable.
”We all will die someday. Therefore we must gather enough strength to carry on.
”It is with heavy heart that I commiserate with his beloved wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, the children and other family members he left behind.
“My heart and prayers are with you all at this period of your grief. May God comfort you.
”May Allah grant the soul of late Isiaka Ajimobi eternal rest and preserve a place for him in Aljanah Firdaus,” he prayed.
Abiola Isiaka Ajimobi died of complications from COVID-19 in Lagos on Thursday.