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Daughter narrates father’s arrest encounter by Abacha
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Dignitaries, comprising former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, Senators Dayo Adeyeye, Kareem Sunday, Dino Melaye, former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jr and Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, yesterday in Abuja, paid glowing tributes to former Governor of Kwara State, Chief Cornelius Adebayo.
The night of tribute was organised to pay last respect to Adebayo, who was born on February 24, 1941 and died on June 25, 2025.
In his tribute, Gambari described Adebayo as his senior by two years at Ilorin Provincial School, noting that the former NADECO leader was his mentor, despite the three years age gap between them.
According to him, “One thing he taught me was – I used to be very rascally in school, but he called me and said look, you have to pipe down because when you misbehave, they would say it’s because you are a member of the royal family. He taught me humility.”
Gambari also recalled that when Governor Adamu Attah was standing for re-election, he entreated him not to rig because he said he would win the election if it was not rigged.
“Third, when a new Emir was chosen — my cousin, he said Agboola, you are very lucky that I was not governor when Sulu Gambari died because the next thing you would have heard on radio was that you have been made the Emir of Ilorin. He was that jovial. He was honest and principled,” he said.
Equally speaking, Saraki said they must remember a man who gave up a lot as sacrifices for this democracy that the country is enjoying, adding that he was courageous and wasn’t afraid to speak to power.
In her remarks, his daughter, Oloruntoyosi Ebun, recounted that her father knew he would be arrested by the General Sani Abacha regime.
She said: “During the tense days of NADECO, the main pro-democracy coalition of the 1990s that fought against military dictatorship and for the validation of the June 12, 1993 mandate. Daddy gathered us for a family meeting. He told us plainly: “Any day, they may come for me. I may go out and never return.”
“It was chilling. But it was Daddy’s way of preparing us. From then on, whenever he stepped out, he carried a small bag with clothes and toiletries, ready for arrest. Many evenings when he came home, we would joke, “Daddy, congratulations, you made it back!” Until the day they finally took him. Painful, yes, but not as unbearable as it might have been, because he had prepared us.”
Oloruntoyosi further emphasised that her father was not a man who chased power for its sake; stressing that he bore power like a burden, always mindful that it was service to God and to people.
She added: “That was why, whether in the State House, the Senate chambers, or the Federal Cabinet, his word carried weight. People knew he could not be bought; he could not be bent. He stood on principle. Always.”
“Even towards the end of his life, that spirit of preparation remained. In Abuja, he gathered us, spoke to us, guided us, and made sure we knew his heart. He even told us the picture that should be placed on the condolence table after his passing.
“He told Pastor Sam the song to sing at his wake keep service. He had already thought about everything. He wanted to ease our pain. He wanted us ready,” she said.
The post Saraki, Gambari, Ihedioha, Dino, others pay tribute to Cornelius Adebayo appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
