From Toluwa Agboluaje,Ibadan
Late Akinfenwa
Prominent Nigerians have mourned the passage of Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa who died on Thursday in Ibadan at the age of 89.
Akinfenwa who hailed from Erin-Ijesa in Oriade Local Government of Osun State was a factional Chairman of Alliance for Democracy (AD).
Among the sympathiters who visited the family at the Alafia street, Basorun in Ibadan home of the deceased included Chief and Chief(Mrs.) Morakinyo; a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
Omisore described the deceased as his father,leader and mentor.
“Baba was my father,leader and mentor. He lived for truth throughout his life. May his soul rest in peace. I’ll miss him and the entire progressives shall miss him”, Omisore said.
The immediate-past Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, described him as an unrepentant progressive.
In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by his media adviser, Mr. Tunji Bolaji, Ajimobi said:”He was an unrepentant Progressive. He had been a steadfast progressive. He fought for all the ideals of the democratic government that we are enjoying today. He passed on at a time when his wealth of experience would have been useful to the coming generation. He will be sorely missed”.
Also, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere said Akinfenwa was an Awoist.
In a statement made available to journalists by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Yinka Odumakin, the group said:”Senator Akinfenwa was an Awoist all through his lifetime .His contributions to progressive causes were laudable as a prominent leader in Afenifere. He was quite steadfast and dogged in defence of principles. His death has robbed the progressive family one of its eloquent defenders .
We pray that God God Almighty will be with the family he has left behind and may his memory remains sweet for ever”.
Also,the Southwest Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Ayo Afolabi described the death as painful. “He said he was one of the leaders that emerged with the Chief Bola Ige administration in the old Oyo State from 1979 to 1983. He distinguished himself as a teacher and was one of our revered leaders in Osun State. We’ll surely miss him”, the APC scribe said.
Also, Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association (YYSA) Worldwide mourned the passage of the elder statesman.
In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan , the president of the group, Olalekan Hammed said:”Southwestern Nigeria has lost an exemplary leader. Today, politicians defect from one party to the other to satisfy their greed and aspirations without considering moral degradation, damage or lost of followers that the step may consequentially resulted to. Reverse was the case for Sen Akinfenwa, he was a stable and consistent political leader who followed in Chief Obafemi Awolowo foot steps till he died. His political ideology far different from majority of nowadays political leaders claiming to be progressives”.
The last child of the family, Mrs. Tolulope Akingbehin said it happened Thursday in a private hospital during a brief illness. She described her father as a disciplinarian.
“He died around 2.30 p.m. on Thursday in a private hospital in Ibadan. He would be 90 by next June. He was a consummate politician and supportive father. He was God-fearing and truthful. He instilled love, truthfulness and fear of God in us. He was a strict man. We will miss him”, she said.
Akinfenwa was a teacher, former Commissioner for Education in the old Oyo State in the Second Republic. He was elected Senator representing Osun East senatorial district in 1999 on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD). He was the AD Leader in the Senate. He was defeated by Iyiola Omisore of the PDP in the 2003 election.
