A chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Supo Shonibare, has said the late Ayo Adebanjo anticipated and agitated for a better Nigeria until he breathed his last.

Mr Shonibare, a member of the defunct National Democratic Coalition, stated this during an interview on late Friday in Lagos.

He spoke at the residence of the late Adebanjo at Lekki Phase I during a condolence visit to the family of the late elder statesman.

Mr Shonibare said that the late Adebanjo was a leader with a high level of integrity and one who lived for the interest of all.

According to him, Mr Adebanjo has over the decades shunned bitter politics.

Mr Shonibare said: “He (Adebanjo) was a man who put integrity and the need to evolve a better society at the front burner of all the decision-making processes he had been part of throughout his life. He had been preparing us for this day for the past year, since he became slightly unwell. He said that before his passing, Adebanjo saw that the struggle ahead would be turbulent and would require people reading through the tenets and covenant Chief Obafemi Awolowo has left as the basis of evolving a better society. He was an apostle of the thoughts and the political persuasion of Chief Awolowo and kept on that track throughout his lifetime.”

He said that every leader needed to take a cue from the strong values and beliefs the late Adebanjo held so dearly.

He noted, “All of us need to take a cue from that and try to see what we can to participate in politics with honour and integrity. We must concentrate on having to evolve a better society and a devolved Nigeria.So, devolution of powers (restructuring) was something that was quite close to his heart.’’

As of 8pm on Friday, friends and family members were still visiting the late Adebanjo’s Lekki residence.

The late Adebanjo, an Afenifere chieftain, died on Friday in Lagos at 96.

(NAN)