The news about the death of the irrepressible champion of true federalism in Nigeria, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, took the public by surprise.
There was no tell-tale hint that the great Nigerian icon was seriously ill, although he died, at the ripe age of 96 years old.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo was a Nigerian statesman and a quintessential nationalist. His kind, who are still alive in Nigeria, can be counted on the fingertips.
I have always been enamored by his courage, forthrightness, sincerity, and the power of his convictions. I remember with nostalgia, the epic presidential media chat we had with President Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000 at the Aso Rock presidential villa.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo represented the Afenifere on the panel, Dr. Paul Unongo represented the Arewa Consultative Assembly, and l was nominated by the Imeobi to represent the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. President Olusegun Obasanjo was the host, while Prof Tonnie Osa Iredia anchored the chat.
Top executives of major media organizations were among the audience, including Dr. Eddie Okechukwu Iroh, the Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, and Sen. Ben Bruce.
The 2-hour program was extensively promoted by the NTA, which attracted a nationwide audience. It was watched in the manner of a typical World Cup match. That was my first personal encounter with Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
Coincidentally, Chief Adebanjo and I were on the same page on the national issues that came up during the chat. It will be recalled that it was Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu that first promoted the idea of a “Handshake Across the Niger” to encourage Igbo Yoruba rapprochement. Chief Ayo Adebanjo and other Afenifere leaders keyed into it.
When Chief Solomon Asemota SAN, came up with an expanded version called Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities Forum, it was promptly embraced by the leaders of Igbo, Yoruba, Middlebelt, and South-South. Chief Ayo Adebanjo was a strong pillar of this national initiative to unit all the Ethnic Nationalities in Nigeria in the noble pursuit of true federalism and the self-determination of ethnic nationalities within the context of one Nigeria.
Meetings were held in Lagos most of the time. But in 2004, a historic meeting of the Forum took place at Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s residence, which attracted for the first time in recent history the first-eleven Yoruba leaders to Enugu to meet on matters of National unity.
Yoruba leaders who attended the Enugu meeting included Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Fasoranti, Chief Adefarasin, Chief Ajayi, Senator Femi Okorunmu, and Chief Supo Shonibare. Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu (host), Dr. Offia Nwali and my humble self were also in attendance, including Chief Solomon Asemota and the General Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress who stood in for Prof. Kimse Okoko. Commodore Dan Suleiman rtd, the leader of the Middlebelt Forum, was also in attendance.
Over the years, my respect for Chief Ayo Adebanjo grew to the point that I began to admire him as a role model. This was a man who never held an elective office in Nigeria but remained most prominent and highly respected nationwide for his nationalism, consistency in the pursuit of a restructured Nigeria, equity, justice, and fairness as the panacea for national development and unity.
The Almighty God blessed him with sound mind such that he remained articulate and outspoken till the very end.
The greatest honor we owe Chief Ayo Adebanjo is to sustain the struggle for true federalism, which he fought for until the end and until it is achieved in the interest of present and future generations of Nigerians.
Farewell, the Field Marshall of the struggle for the liberty of Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities.
Chief Dr. Chekwas Okorie
Ojeozi Ndigbo, is the pioneer National Chairman and founder of APGA.
