Four Years Without Senator Ayo Fasanmi: A Tribute to an Indefatigable Leader.

Four Years Without Senator Ayo Fasanmi: A Tribute to an Indefatigable Leader.

By Tope Adebayo.

Today, July 29, 2024, marks exactly four years since the passing of Senator Ayo Fasanmi, an indefatigable leader and boss whose memory remains fresh in our hearts. Serving under his mentorship and leadership was akin to attending a political Cambridge, where the ideology of progressives was instilled in me, should I choose to join politics in the future.

Senator Fasanmi's diligent service to the nation is always vivid in my memory. At a very tender age, he served as a councillor in 1960 in the Ero Ijero Local Government. By 1963, he was serving in the House of Representatives until 1965, under the directive of his political mentor, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was then serving jail time.

In 1979, after losing the governorship primary to Adekunle Ajasin, Fasanmi was persuaded to join the Senate due to his comradeship and dedication to service to God and humanity. Since his alignment with the progressive ideology, he consistently won with the progressives and dined with them. Despite his influence, he never sought personal enrichment, an ideology now lacking in the progressive political fold.

Fasanmi also served as the director of Western Housing Corporation under Brigadier General Oluwole Rotimi, Governor of the old Western Region. He introduced the Government Reserved Area (GRA) to Western Nigeria, allocating plots to many without claiming any for himself or his family.

On the issue of corruption plaguing Nigeria, Senator Fasanmi was a pioneer in introducing an anti-corruption agency with the support of former Inspector General of Police Sunday Adewusi and other foresighted Nigerians.

When the Second Republic collapsed, Fasanmi was a frontline leader in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), fighting the military and advocating for the return of democracy. He stood alongside prominent figures like General Alani Akinrinade, Barrister Ayo Opadokun, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye, Senator Biyi Durojaiye, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Professor Wole Soyinka, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and Senator (now President) Bola Ahmed Tinubu, among many others.

Although not originally from Osun State, Fasanmi spent over 70 years there, contributing significantly to Osogbo, the state capital. During his tenure as Director of Western Housing Corporation, he brought Oroki Estate to Osogbo. His service to humanity earned him the titles of Seriki Agbaakin of Osogboland and Asiwaju of Ido-Osun.

Fasanmi's efforts in aligning the progressives to govern the nation culminated in General Muhammadu Buhari becoming the sixth democratically-elected president, a milestone that filled him with immense joy. He proudly proclaimed that he had a message to deliver to Awolowo.

In 2019, during a visit by Afenifere, led by Fasanmi, to President Buhari, the members returned to Lagos lodge at Asokoro, Abuja, for a dinner with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Chief Olusegun Osoba sought Fasanmi's blessing for Tinubu's presidential bid in the 2023 elections, a prophecy that came to fruition.

Despite not witnessing the swearing-in of the first progressive-minded president of Nigeria, Fasanmi's legacy lives on. I must acknowledge Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Executive Governor of Ekiti State, under whom I served as an Executive Assistant. Fayemi immortalized Fasanmi during his lifetime by building the Senator Ayo Fasanmi Modern College in Ado-Ekiti. Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola also honored him by naming a new road in Osogbo after him, now known as Senator Ayo Fasanmi Way.

Though he is no longer with us, Fasanmi deserves national recognition. A day will come when a leader will rise to immortalize him at the national level. Today, I remember and honor my father, leader, mentor, and boss. May his soul continue to rest in perfect peace.

Your personal assistant,  

Adebayo Temitope (AKA Tope Fasanmi).