Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta

Obasanjo: says Penkelemesi was his role model

Nigeria former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that the late Ibadan political icon, Chief Adegoke Adelabu popularly called ‘Adelabu Penkelemesi’ was his political role model in Nigeria.

Obasanjo, disclosed that he shares the political philosophy of the first Federal Minister of Social Services and Natural Resources, which according to him, was devoid of ethnic and tribal considerations but focused on a united Nigeria.

The former President stated this yesterday when he received the family of the politician who paid him a courtesy visit at his Presidential Hilltop,Abeokuta.

According to Obasanjo, Nigerians are still struggling to reach the pinnacle the late Adelabu attained in politics.

Obasanjo,who accepted the offer to be the Patron of the posthumous centenary birthday celebration of the late politician described him as a detribalised Nigerian.

The family delegation which was led by an Ibadan High Chief and a former ace broadcaster, Aare Tunde Alabi said they were in Obasanjo’s house to help in giving a befitting ceremony to the first African Manager of UAC Haberdashery, Lagos.

Obasanjo posited that Adelabu was years ahead of his political contemporaries during his lifetime,adding that he advocated for United State of West Africa before his demise.

“Adelabu was not just a historic figure,he was a reality,he was a phenomenon,he was uniquely Yoruba, uniquely Nigerian, uniquely African and uniquely a member of the human race.

“What you are proposing to do, I believe Adelabu deserved it in every facet. Today, we are still struggling to reach the pinnacle or the pedestal Adelabu reached in politics, of not being swayed by linguistic, ethnic, tribal, regional, sectional consideration, but by what is best for Nigeria.

“He was years ahead of his contemporary politicians. In his life time,he was talking of United State of West Africa, ECOWAS came up years after his demise. In his life time, he belonged to a political party that has its base outside the western region where he came from, he was not a tribal baron, he was a national politician.

“So, when you asked me to be the Patron of Adelabu posthumous centenary birthday celebration, I have no reason to say ‘no’. I have no reasons to say ‘no’ because, I share what Adelabu stood for, I share Adelabu’s philosophy of a united Nigeria and belief, I share Adelabu’s view of politics beyond ethnicity, beyond tribe, beyond region and I believe that in our national life.

“We should extol the virtues like the one we saw in Adelabu, a man of the people, down to heart, absolutely down to heart and yet, a man who believed that his politics must be above ethnicity, must be above tribal, must be to unite the country while, of course, uplifting his own people.

“On behalf of the family who asked me to accept this and having accepted this, I will do my utmost best to contribute to making that day you have chosen to celebrate the birthday a success and also to use it to remind those who may like to forget that there was, even before independence, men and Nigerians like Adelabu who believed in the unity of this country, who lived for it and indeed died for it”,Obasanjo declared.

Earlier, Aare Alabi who gave a brief bio-data of the former leader of the opposition in the old Western House of Assembly between 1956 and 1958 urged former President Obasanjo to ‘carry Adelabu to the world’.

According to Alabi, “if alive, late Adelabu would have been 100 years by September 3, 2015 and as such, families have planned to celebrate the enigma”,he said.

Adelabu, the first Chairman of Ibadan District Council in 1954 died in a road accident on March 25, 1958 in Ode Remo town in the present day of Ogun State, southwestern,Nigeria. He was aged 43.

Penkelemesi,as fondly called by his admirers was the leader of the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), western delegate to 1957 London constitutional conference and the first National Vice President of the party.