Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, a former governor of Kwara State and ex-senator, has died at the age of 84.
The news of his passing was shared by Just Event Online TV, which cited a close family associate who confirmed that Adebayo died in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja.
Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, Kwara State, Adebayo had a distinguished public service career. He served as a senator under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in 1979 and was briefly the governor of Kwara State in 1983 before the military takeover. He later held office as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications from 2003 to 2006.
Renowned for his unwavering commitment to democratic ideals, Adebayo was a leading figure in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the pro-democracy group that championed the actualisation of the June 12, 1993 presidential mandate won by Chief MKO Abiola. In a notable act of principle, he declined an appointment to serve under the military government of General Sani Abacha in 1993.
