Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed his condolences to Chief Mrs Ayoka Adebayo, the late Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State. Obasanjo praised her as a sincere patriot who believed in a stronger Nigeria and gave her all to achieve her aim.

During a thanksgiving service to commemorate her 86th birthday in 2021, the deceased recounted how she narrowly avoided death twice that year, slumping in February and August but was resuscitated at the hospital. The late electoral umpire, who died on May 18, 2024, at the age of 89 following a brief illness, will be buried on July 7.

Obasanjo stated in a release signed by his Special Assistant on Media Kehinde Akinyemi and Mrs Moni Adebayo Abudu (for the family) and made available to journalists on Monday, 27 May 2024, that she served with commitment, integrity, dedication, and loyalty, contributing significantly to the growth of democracy in our country.

In his tribute to the late REC, Obasanjo said that “Adebayo wrote an enviable page in history with her service as the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State.

“Such that at a point the election rerun was turning into a morass of confusion, chaos, violence and threat to her life, for integrity, she honourably resigned her appointment as the Commissioner and fled her operational base for the fear of being attacked or kidnapped to be compromised by desperate politicians.”

Obasanjo went on to say that the late wife of his late cousin’s contributions to public service and the country would undoubtedly inspire future generations. The void left by her departure, will be very difficult to fill within Bankole’s extended family and dynasty.

“Ayoka’s generosity, warmth, and grace enriched the lives of many. Her memory will certainly serve as an eternal source of inspiration for all who knew her and whose lives she had impacted. To the Owu community and Ogun State, from where she came, she was loyal, devoted, dedicated, and faithful to the Owu cause and interest.

Being a thoroughbred Owu daughter on both her father’s and mother’s lines, she had a constant love for the Owu Kingdom and strived for its advancement while she was alive. Her reputation as a terrific mobilizer, skilled organiser, and unwavering advocate for women’s empowerment was widely recognized.

Her outstanding contributions to Ogun State’s civil service in various capacities are also noteworthy. She was industrious, amiable, and most genial,” Obasanjo said in the two-page tribute.

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