Prominent Nigerians from across political and social circles gathered in Abuja on Tuesday night to pay glowing tributes to former Kwara State Governor, Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, who passed away on June 25, 2025, at the age of 81.
The event, held in his honour, drew an array of dignitaries including former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; business mogul, Bola Shagaya; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Senator Dino Melaye; Frank Nweke Jr; and NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, among others.
Fondly called “C.O.,” Adebayo was celebrated as a trailblazer and patriot — a teacher-turned-politician who served as Commissioner, Senator, Governor of Kwara State, and later Minister of Communications, Works, and Housing.
He was also a prominent member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which championed the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
In his tribute, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari described Adebayo as “a mentor and disciplinarian,” recalling their days together at Ilorin Provincial School.
“He taught me humility. I was very rascally then, but he pulled me aside and said, ‘Agboola, when you misbehave, they will say it is because you are from a royal family.’ That lesson stayed with me for life,” Gambari said.
He further praised Adebayo’s courage and integrity, noting that he once advised a sitting governor not to rig an election, and that his humour and wisdom left lasting impressions on those around him.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki hailed Adebayo as “a true democrat who sacrificed deeply for Nigeria’s freedom.”
“We must remember a man who gave so much for the democracy we enjoy today. We owe him that,” Saraki stated.
A deeply emotional moment came when Adebayo’s daughter, Oloruntoyosi Ayobola Ebun, spoke on behalf of the family.
She recalled how, during the height of NADECO’s resistance in the 1990s, her father prepared his family for the possibility of arrest.
“He told us plainly, ‘Any day, they may come for me. I may go out and never return.’ From then on, he always left home with a small bag packed with clothes and toiletries, ready for detention,” she said.
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According to her, that courage defined her father’s entire public life.
“He bore power like a burden, always seeing it as service to God and humanity. He could not be bought, he could not be bent. He stood on principle — alQways,” she added.
