The former Governor of Kwara State and ex-Minister of Communications, Cornelius Adebayo, has been pronounced dead by medical experts at the age of 84 after a brief illness.
It was gathered that Adebayo died barely six months after celebrating his 84th birthday in the state.
The former governor, a former academic who once served as a lecturer at the University of Ife, was declared dead in the early hours of Wednesday by medical personnel.
Reacting to his death, President Bola Tinubu through a statement issued by his Special Adviser stated that the deceased will be remembered for his patriotism and commitment to the progress of Kwara State and the Yoruba race.
“Chief Adebayo was one of our leaders who cast aside every comfort and stood firmly in defence of democracy and the ideals of justice, fairness and equity,” he said.
Similarly, the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, in a statement issued by his Press Secretary, Abdulazeez Arowona, described Adebayo as “an administrator par excellence.”
While commiserating with the deceased’s relatives, the monarch extended condolences to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the people of Kwara, Adebayo’s family, and his political associates.
Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Adebayo was known for his impactful service at both state and national levels.
He rose to political prominence in 1979 as a Senator under the Unity Party of Nigeria, and later became Governor of Kwara State in 1983, a tenure cut short by a military coup.
Years later, he was appointed Minister of Communications under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
