President Buhari mourns Adebayo, says Nigeria will miss a true patriot

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the late former governor of the defunct Western Region, retired Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, as a true patriot.

A statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina in Abuja, said Buhari stated this in a telephone call from London to the son of the late general and former governor of Ekiti State, Niyi Adebayo.

Adesina said the President lamented that “Nigeria will surely miss the uncommon patriotism and nationalism which Gen. Adebayo typified’’.

The President also commiserated with the people of Ekiti State and the entire Yoruba race.

He noted that the late octogenarian while standing firmly for the unity of the country, also fought for the interest of his people as the President of the Yoruba Council of Elders.

President Buhari prayed that Almighty God would console the Adebayo family and grant the soul of the departed elder statesman eternal rest.

According to the statement, while thanking President Buhari for the call and commiserations, Niyi Adebayo also wished the President good health.

The former military governor of defunct Western Region, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, died in Lagos on Wednesday on the eve of his 89th birthday.

Family sources said he suddenly took ill at his GRA Ikeja, Lagos home and he was taken to the hospital where he died shortly after.

Adebayo was born in 1928 in Iyin Ekiti, near Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State.

He attended All Saints School, Iyin-Ekiti, and later attended Eko Boys High School and Christ’s School Ado Ekiti.

He joined the West African Frontier Force in 1948 as a regiment signaler and later completed the Officer Cadet Training Course in Teshie, Ghana from 1950 to 1952.

He was commissioned as an officer in the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) as the 23rd West African military officer with number WA23 and 7th Nigerian military officer with number N7 after completing the War Office Cadet Training in Eaton Hall, England.

He later attended the Staff College course in Camberley (Surrey) in 1960 and the prestigious Imperial Defence College, London in late 1965 where he was the only African officer.

He was a Military governor, Western Nigeria from 1966 to1971.