Former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and A are Onakakanfo of Yoruba,Gani Adams has extolled the virtues of late Afenifere spokesman,Yinka Odumakin for his commitment to building a just society.
In his letter of condolence,Daniel commiserated with Afenifere and the widow of late Afenifere Spokesperson, Dr Joe Okei -Odumakin.
In the condolence letter which he personally signed on Saturday, Otunba Daniel described the death of Odumakin as “… a dark moment that eclipsed one of the vocal voices of the Yoruba Nation and of social, cultural and political activism in our country Nigeria.
Said he,“Yinka lived a good life, and for a great cause and purposes. His memory is well preserved because he stood firmly for all that he believed in. Such men never die.”
Daniel expressed his deepest condolences to both the wife and leadership of Afenifere, while praying that God should grant his soul great repose and to grant the family the fortitude to bear the very painful loss.
To the wife, the former Governor wrote:
“It is surely a harrowing experience to imagine that the man with whom you have spent several years together, starting from your university and students Union days will no longer be there by your side, to offer the comforting words in moments of need. Yinka was your alter ego, a great Comrade and a good companion”
In his message, Adams, described the death as one death too many, saying Yoruba has lost a gem, who, according to him, was a dependable ally.
Aare Adams, who received the news of Odumakin’s death with shock and trepidations, said the death of the late Afenifere Publicity Scribe was a big loss to the Yoruba nation, adding that death had dealt the Yoruba nation a big blow, leaving in its wake, sad memories of the loss of a brother, a friend and dependable ally.
While mourning his friend of many years, Iba Adams, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, described the late Odumakin as a true Yoruba son, a committed fellow, and the voice of the people, especially, the downtrodden.
“We’ll all miss his voice. We’ll miss his commitment, we’ll miss is bravery because the late Yinka Odumakin’s fearless image loomed larger than what we can easily forget in a hurry”
“He was a phenomenon that spoke truth to power. He cut a picture of an all-rounder, a media personage, an analyst and public commentator that had warmed himself to the hearts of many people”
“His exit had left a big vacuum in the social and political milieu and Nigerians will always remember him for who he was because in his life, the late Odumakin was truly one of the few gifted soul of our race”The extent of the shocking news for me has been inexplicable. It will take a very long time for me to accept the realities of his death”.
“We are in the struggle together, we shared so many memories together and I was very close to the family, so for me, it was a personal loss and I wish my sister, his wife, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin and the deceased relatives well, especially at this trying moments”.
“For the Yoruba nation, and Afenifere as a whole, Odumakin’s imprints will always be in the book of history, but as much as his death was so rude and shocking, we are consoled that the man died, though, very young, he will be remembered for his invaluable contributions to the development of Nigeria and the Yoruba nation in particular.”
