Until he breathed his last on Friday February 14th, a day after the day of Love-Valentine’s day, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, a dye- in -the- wool disciple of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, personified opposition politics in all his over six decades of active participation in the politics of Nigeria.
Though he never contested for election but preferred to work from the background, Chief Adebanjo remained visible in all the political parties he was privileged to be a member.
The only known elective position he held was as Organising Secretary of the defunct Action Group, the first leading opposition party in Nigeria in the early 60s.
He cultivated and romanced opposition as his ideology in politics even when the opportunities abounded for him until death came calling.
Coincidentally, he was a member of AG, a party that only won election in the Western region and ruled the region during the first republic.
During that period, AG was the real face of opposition, a virtue considered new in the history of politics in Nigeria.
Unlike politicians of today, who jump from one party to the other whenever their interest is not being served, he stuck with the AG during the thick and thin of its travails.
As one of the staunch supporters of the late Obafemi Awolowo,he remained one of his ardent supporters and followers in opposition till the sage breathed his last on May 9,1987.
In spite of the persecution he suffered during the treasonable felony trial which saw Chief Awolowo to jail, Adebanjo came out again in 1978 when the ban on politics was lifted prior to the elections to usher in the second republic.
As a member of the then Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, he participated actively in the politics of the second republic in spite of the Party’s loss in 1979 and its assumption of being the leading opposition party.
However, Chief Adebanjo’s greatest test of resilience as an opposition figure manifested after the annulment of the June 12 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
For him, joining the NADECO train from the ashes of the Social Democratic Party,SDP was akin to returning to his familiar turf.
His joining forces with other democrats to resuscitate the Afenifere-Yoruba political group was an attempt to use the latter to ensure Nigeria returns to true federalism where all the nationalities in the country will get autonomy to rule themselves .
As a committed democrat, Adebanjo in spite of the generally held belief that his colleagues in the Afenifere of old like late Chief Bola Ige should of right get the nod of the Alliance for Democracy for the joint presidential ticket with All Peoples Party,APP, he defied the sentiments of friendship with Ige and teamed up with the 23 AD elders to adopt Olu Falae as its presidential flag bearer in 1999.
He was there in the trenches with the likes of Anthony Enahoro, Adekunle Ajasin and Abraham Adesanya to brave the military onslaught led by then head of state, Sanni Abacha at a great risk to his life.
Unlike many who fled to exile, Adebanjo stood with the local wing of Afenifere/NADECO to pressurize the military to de-annul Abiola’s election.
‘Old soldier never die’, Chief Adebanjo enjoyed and courted opposition such that when the strange political alignment with the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,removed the carpet from AD’s feet in South West in 2003,he remained steadfast and joined others to reposition Afenifere.
However, his declaration that AD is Afenifere and Afenifere is AD further polarized the rank of the party and limited its growth. Despite its misfortunes, he never abandoned the ship.
As for him, the clamor for return to true federalism based on regional autonomy was non- negotiable.
Adebanjo also carried the crusade to the Patriot-committee of non-partisan and committed leaders led by the late Chief Rotimi Williams to further the clamor for true federalism.
Throughout that period he was never in bed with Olusegun Obasanjo, a fellow Yoruba who was President and often criticise him for failing to support Yoruba political interest.
He was also not at home with the government of Muhammadu Buhari and his major sponsor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos governor who he supported to be governor in 1999 but with whom he later fell out politically.
By all descriptions, you can neither call him a fair weather or an all weather politician, his often criticized self- justification notwithstanding.
Perhaps this explains why he carried his opposition to Tinubu farther as he joined forces within and without Yoruba South West to campaign against Tinubu’s presidency.
For him, it is the turn of Igbo speaking South East to produce Nigeria’s next President.
He never congratulated Tinubu till date.
, Adebanjo led the schism that polarized the Afenifere into two in Yoruba South West.
He dropped ethnic sentiments, shunned criticism and wore the garment of partisanship by supporting Peter Obi’s Labour Party.
Though,Tinubu’s APC won, like Obasanjo- his latter day political ally, Adebanjo even as Afenifere’s factional leader never congratulated Tinubu.
Since the latter’s assumption he never wavered nor soft pedalled in his criticism of Tinubu’s government.
With his demise, it is uncertain whether his lieutenants in Afenifere will continue with his dogged principles but what is sure is that he stood out as a consistently consistent personality, not bothered about his perception by others.
His absence will be felt not only among his few colleagues still alive but among the voice of strident and consistent critics of the unitary system that has retarded the country’s political evolution and development.
Adieu, a consistent social critic and true democrat, always ready to speak truth to power.