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Abraham Adesanya (1922
– 2008)
By Sun News Publishing
Friday, May 9, 2008
Nigeria lost a frontline nationalist and elder statesman
on Sunday, April 27, 2008 with the demise of the notable legal
practitioner and politician, Senator Abraham Aderibigbe Adesanya.
The Second Republic senator, former Senate Minority Leader
and a passionate patriot and democrat passed on in his Apapa,
Lagos home, at the age of 85.
Pa Abraham Adesanya, as the senator was fondly called in his
later years, lived a life that was a shining example of devotion
to his country, Nigeria, in general and his Yoruba ethnic
stock, in particular. He was a close aide of the late Chief
Obafemi Awolowo with whom he served severally in the then
Yoruba socio–cultural organization, Egbe Omo Oduduwa,
and in the political parties, Action Group and the Unity Party
of Nigeria, on which platform he was elected into the senate.
Adesanya was a dogged fighter for democracy. He was the leader
of the Pan–Yoruba social cultural group, Afenifere,
and a Deputy Leader of the pro–democracy group, National
Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which was the arrowhead of
the struggle for the re–validation of the June 12, 1993
presidential election believed to have been won by the late
Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
He was a staunch ally of the coalition of other human rights
and pro–democracy organizations arrayed against the
attempt by the then military ruler, General Sani Abacha, to
perpetuate military governance in Nigeria. He almost paid
the supreme price for this. He was arrested and detained for
some weeks. On January 14, 1997, he was attacked by hired
assassins from the government’s security organs who
rained a volley of bullets into his car near his Lagos office.
Miraculously, he escaped unhurt and recent revelations from
the trial of his attackers in court indicate that he was marked
for assassination on the charge that he was a member of NADECO
which was then tagged a terrorist organization by the military
regime.
He was an icon of democracy, a principled, consistent and
brilliant lawyer whose political sagacity and hatred for political
chicanery stood him out as a man who is worthy of emulation
by Nigerian politicians.
Pa Abraham Adesanya was born on July 24, 1922 in Ijebu–Igbo,
in Ogun State. He had his early education at St. John’s
Anglican school, Oke-Agbo, 1933 – 1935; Ojowo United
Primary School, Ijebu–Igbo, 1936–38; Methodist
School, Osogbo, 1939 and Ijebu–Igbo Grammar School,
1942-1944. He taught in some schools for some years before
venturing to the Holborn College of Law, London, 1958 –
1960, and was called to the English Bar, 1961. He was a member
of the defunct Western House of Assembly and a member of the
legal team that defended Chief Obafemi Awolowo during his
treason trial. He was devoted to the enthronement of the rule
of law and was passionate about using the instrumentality
of the courts for the public good.
Expectedly, the passage of Pa Adesanya has elicited an outpouring
of tributes and condolence visits from distinguished lawyers
and politicians who have severally eulogized him for his valuable
contributions to the political development of the country.
Pa Adesanya will be remembered for the courage that he brought
into the fight against military hegemony in Nigerian. He stood
the course of the fight for democracy and provided true leadership
for Yorubas until his failing health, from 2004, kept him
from active political administration and Afenifere, which
he led, became factionalized.
The death of Adesanya has left a yawning gap in Yoruba leadership
that will be difficult to fill. The challenge before Yorubas,
therefore, is to find a man to unite Afenifere under one umbrella,
once a gain.
We commiserate with the Adesanya family on the loss of this
great man. The good name he has left behind should be a consolation
to the family at this difficult time.
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