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The All Progressives Congress(APC), Oyo State Chapter and the Association of Local Government of Nigeria(ALGON) in the state have described the death of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN) as a monumental loss to Ibadan, Oyo State and Nigeria.
Akinjide died on Tuesday morning in his Idi-Ishin, Ibadan residence.
The APC in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olatunde, said the demise of the legal luminary has robbed Ibadan, Oyo State and Nigeria of another Political titan.
Olatunde said Chief Akinjide was one of the few illustrious sons of Ibadan whose brilliance was missed as governor of Old Oyo State when political competition was issue-based, as he unarguably met his match in eventual winner of 1979 governorship contest, Late Chief Bola Ige(SAN).
“There is no denying the brilliance of someone who made Grade one Distinction with Aggregate 6 in passing out of Oduduwa College, Ile Ife in late 40s before jetting out to United Kingdom in 1951 for his Law Degree.
“Chief Akinjide participated in a lot of Constitutional Conferences and Judicial Reforms which evolved into what Nigeria’s development is today.
“Since there is no perfection ascribable to any mortal, the blight spot of Yorubas home and abroad to the former Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) was the 12 2/3 of 19 states saga of 1979 post election, which most Yorubas believed denied Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo to win the 1979 Presidential Election was held against him but which we knew could have been stigmatised to any leader of the hotly contested presidential legal tussle.
“On behalf of all the members of APC in Oyo State, we pray for Almighty God to forgive the repose of Chief Richard Akinjide and grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss of his exit from our midst,” the APC statement said.
While eulogising the contributions of the late Minister of Justice to the nation, ALGON in a statement signed by its Chairman, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, said Akinjide will forever be remembered in the political history of Nigeria, especially for his witty and cerebral prowess in profering a solution to the circumstances surrounding the winner of the 1979 general election.
According to Abass-Aleshinloye, the late legal luminary believed Nigeria’s problems started when the military returned into government.
“He said military has no business in government but rather to protect territorial integrity of the nation. He attributed military incursion into politics as the greatest mistake we made in the history of Nigeria and had hope this country will never make that mistake again.
“Akinjide had maintained that Nigeria , come what may, will remain one indivisible entity. He was a member of the parliament when Nigeria was granted independence on October 1, 1960. Also,he was a member of the confab called in 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan to chart a way forward for Nigeria.
“Late Chief Richard Akinjide foray in both legal and politics of Nigeria shall forever remain indelible in the history of our great country.Chief Akinjide would be sorely missed.”
He prayed that God will grant him eternal peace and give his family the fortitude to bear the loss.