Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has mourned the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, who he described as a symbol of Nigeria’s epic struggle for self-discovery and self-actualisation.
He paid tributes to the late traditional ruler on Saturday in his letter of condolence to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
Obasanjo, who is presently in Ethiopia, condoled with the governor, the family of Oba Adeyemi, and the entire people of Oyo on the transition.
He stated that the late highly revered monarch was a patriotic and respected traditional ruler who had immeasurable love for his people and great faith in a united Nigeria.
“He (Alaafin) stood out as a voice of forthrightness in national affairs, and he was as well a fervent promoter of mutual tolerance and understanding, not only among the diverse people who live in his domain but also across the country,” the elder statesman was quoted as saying in a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi.
According to him, it was during Oba Adeyemi’s reign that Oyo town got transformed into the modern city that it has become and his contribution to nation-building was also acknowledged in the conferment of the esteemed national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, on him and other honorary degrees that he received from Nigerian and outside educational institutions.
