By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Oyo State chapter on Thursday,
PDP in a condolence message made available to journalists by its State Publicity Secretary, Engr Akeem Olatunji stated that the late former governor was very passionate about Oyo state and Ogbomosoland in particular while he reigned as the governor of the state under the PDP.
Commiserating with the Otunba Alao Akala family over the death of the former governor, Oyo PDP said it received ” the news of Akala’s death with very rude shock” adding that the Ogbomosoland political kingmaker was loved by his people because of his closeness to the grassroots .
Emphasizing that the late former governor was ” always beaming with smiles and full of life, and will be sorely missed”, the party stated that ” Otunba Alao Akala left a strong legacy of already made political sons and daughters across different political divides while he was Oyo state governor on the platform of PDP and even after leaving office”.
” Death of course, is an incontrovertible debt all mortals must pay but the exit of loved ones leaves pain and sore taste to swallow especially when they depart at a time their wealth of experience in public service and service to humanity are still needed”, it said.
Oyo PDP added, ” we therefore, with heavy heart commiserate with the Otunba Akala’s family, Ogbomosoland, and Oyo state as a whole. Just at a time the state and of course, the PDP were recovering from the passing of our highly respected ‘baba’, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Alayeluwa Oba (Dr) Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, Oyo got hit again by the passing of our father and king, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji at a well advanced age of 93″.
The party maintained that it was the late Akala’s ” vast political experience and clout while as a governor that made him occupied the leadership position of the main opposition party in the state even after leaving the PDP for personal reasons.”
According to the party, ” Oyo state is going through a very trying time at the moment following the painful passing of its prominent and illustrious son which include the late Soun of Ogbomosoland, Alayeluwa Oba (Dr) Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, the late Olubadan of Ibadanvland, Oba Saliu Adetunji Aje Ogungunniso I, and the former governor, Otunba Bayo Alao Akala”.
“While we still brood over these lost, Oyo state was hit again by the sudden death of the former governor, Otunba Bayo Alao Akala, the political kingmaker of Ogbomosoland, who held sway as the number one citizen of the state for four years on the platform of PDP.”
The party stressed , ” Late Otunba Akala was so passionate about Ogbomoso that he most of the time left Ibadan for Ogbomoso most Fridays after work just to be amidst his people back at home. He made many people politically and held forth Ogbomosoland land for the people of Ogbomoso by bringing physical developments to the area including Ogbomoso Teaching Hospital.’
“Akala was always full of life and beaming with smiles even at such advanced age of 71 years old but we submit to and take solace in the will of God Almighty because we know that from dust all mortals were made and to dust all must return.
“It is our earnest prayer as a political party and as a people that God grant the entire Akala family the fortitude to bear the pain of his passing and the deceased the eternal rest.”
