December 22, (THEWILL) – Dignitaries from across the nation converged last week to honor the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, former governor of Oyo State, with a 75th posthumous birthday celebration.
Ajimobi, who passed away on June 25, 2020, would have turned 75 on December 18, 2023.
His legacy as the first Oyo governor to serve two consecutive terms—a feat that earned him the title Koseleri 1 (the unprecedented one)—remains deeply cherished by the people of the state.
The commemoration was marked by the 7th Abiola Ajimobi Roundtable, held in collaboration with the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies at the University of Ibadan.
The event took place at the Senator Abiola Ajimobi Resource Centre within the university, with the late governor’s widow, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, leading the celebrations.
The roundtable featured a keynote address by Professor Julius Ihonvbere, an academic and legislator renowned for his expertise in governance and institutional reforms. He spoke on the theme, “Legislative Oversight and Accountability in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects.”
The ceremony drew a host of prominent figures, including Zach Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); Adebo Ogundoyin, Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly; Teslim Folarin, former gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State; and royal fathers such as Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, the Soun of Osogbo, and Oba Adewale Rasheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo.
Others in attendance were Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, APC National Chairman; Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State; Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives; and Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Majority Leader, among several other notable personalities.
The event served as a platform to celebrate Ajimobi’s enduring contributions to governance, peace, and development in Oyo State and Nigeria at large. His name, legacy, and achievements remain an indelible part of the state’s history.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
