The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, on Wednesday, united at the 5th Annual Memorial Fidau prayer for the immediate past Governor of the state, late Abiola Ajimobi.
The event was held at his Oluyole private residence in Ibadan, the state capital.
Speaking with newsmen, the wife of the late former governor, Florence Ajimobi, said she is yet to come to terms with the death of her husband, even five years later.
She admitted that her life has not remained the same since her husband’s demise five years ago.
“Five years and it just seems like yesterday to me. Losing a friend, because my husband was not just my husband. He was my friend. He was my number one supporter. He was my mentor. He was my leader, and he was my cheerleader.
So not having him around me just makes me feel so vulnerable. But honestly, I want to say thank you to the Almighty God. The one who has kept me going, the one who has sustained me, and the one who has enabled me to be able to stand on my feet.
Life has not been the same. But I know that one day everybody has to go. He’s not the first to go, and he won’t be the last to go. It’s what we call God’s time. When it is our time, we all go. I miss him so much. I really do miss him. But I know that what he would want is for me to be strong and uphold his legacy.
“That’s what I’m doing today, trying to keep the flag flying and holding forth on his behalf. But it has been a tough journey, a tough five years, a tough season. I have seen people in different capacities. I have seen people for who they are. But, like I always say, thank you, God.”
In his tribute, the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Sharafadeen Alli, described the late Ajimobi as “A well-loved leader who left a lasting impact on the state.
“We all know that he was somebody who cannot be forgotten. He left a legacy. And like one of the clerics said, when you go out, people use his regime to compare several others.
“That’s to show that he did so well when he was alive. He was somebody who was well-loved, and somebody who loves the state.”
Also speaking, the former Commissioner of Health, Azeez Adeduntan, praised Ajimobi’s leadership, saying, “He was the best governor the state ever had.”
In his short sermon entitled, “Death Is Inevitable,” the state Missioner, Ansar-ud-Deen Islam, Bashir Elesinmeta, urged the people to be mindful of how they live their lives, noting that what should be of paramount concern to the people is life after death.
The event had in attendance the state Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, who represented Governor Seyi Makinde, Senator Alli, former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, former Minister of Solid Minerals, Olamilekan Adegbite, Senator Fatai Buhari, as well as the governorship candidate of APC in the 2023 election in the state, Teslim Folarin.
Punch/Odunayo Ishola
