Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, a former governor of Kwara and one of Nigeria’s foremost pro-democracy activists, has died at the age of 84.
Family sources confirmed that Adebayo passed away in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja.
Born on February 24, 1941, in the Igbaja area of Kwara State, Adebayo played a significant role in Nigeria’s political history and democratic struggles.
He was elected senator in 1979 under the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and briefly served as governor of Kwara State in 1983 before the military takeover.
During the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Adebayo served as minister of communications between 2003 and 2006.
A prominent member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Adebayo was among the vocal voices who opposed military rule and demanded the actualization of the June 12, 1993, presidential mandate won by the late MKO Abiola.
In 1993, he rejected an offer to serve in General Sani Abacha’s military government and was later arrested over alleged links to opposition activities following a 1995 bomb explosion. He fled into exile in Canada in 1996.
Before venturing into national politics, Adebayo served as Kwara State commissioner for education from 1975 to 1978.
