Gbenro Adesina
Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, has confirmed the death of Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Fasanmi, who died in Osogbo yesterday (Wednesday 29, 2020) after a brief illness at the age of 94.
Also, the son of the deceased, Afolabi and his Personal Assistant, Tope Adebayo have confirmed the death.
A statement signed by Afolabi reads, “With gratitude to the Almighty God for a life well spent, we wish to announce the demise of our father, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, at the ripe age of 94 years”.
In a swift reaction, Governor Gboyega Oyetola has described the deceased as a selfless leader and humble person.
In a statement signed by the the State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode to announce the death of the Elder Statesman, Oyetola said that the deceased was an epitome of humility, selflessness and integrity, who made enviable and remarkable contributions to his profession, to the socio-political development of Yorubaland, and to the nation at large.
The statement reads, “In the old Western Nigeria, Pa Fasanmi served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Old Western Nigeria Housing Corporation. He was National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in 1977, elected into the Senate in 1979, and became a member of the House of Representatives in 1983. He also served with the National Constitutional Conference Commission in 1994, as a member”.
It continues, “Pa Fasanmi was an icon, who left indelible footprints in the sands of time. Baba Fasanmi was a leader who demonstrated his love for our great country in many laudable ways, but more heart-warming was how he showed optimal concern for the welfare of the poor and underprivileged, and how he held leaders accountable on their promises of good governance. We also recognise how much Osogbo and Osun State as a whole meant to Pa. Fasanmi, who was transferred to Osogbo as a Pharmacist in 1951, and he chose to live here till he took his last breath. His Alekuwodo residence became a make-shift Secretariat for a number of causes and movements of national relevance. The State Government of Osun appreciates all he accomplished in his lifetime, especially as a pivotal force in the socio-cultural and political bolstering of the Yoruba”.
Until his death, Fasanmi was a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He was a pharmacist and politician.
Born in 1925 at Iye Ekiti, in South West Nigeria, he attended St Paul’s primary school, Ebutte-Metta and Government School, Ibadan, after which he proceeded to the Pharmacy School of Yaba, where he obtained a diploma certificate in Pharmacy.
He joined the Unity Party of Nigeria in 1978 and was a candidate in the Ondo State gubernatorial primary election but lost to Michael Adekunle Ajasin, the former governor of Ondo State. In 1983, he was elected member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Ondo North.
He later served as member of the Board of Directors of the Old Western Nigeria Housing Corporation as well as National Vice Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy, South West Zone in the Fourth Republic.
He was married to the late Madam Adejoke, who died in October 2014 at 82.
