Former Governor of Kwara State, Cornelius Adebayo, has passed away at the age of 84. Family sources confirmed that he died on Wednesday morning in Abuja.
Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, Kwara State, Adebayo had a long and distinguished career in politics and public service. He served as a Senator during the Second Republic from 1979 to 1983, representing the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
In 1983, he was elected Governor of Kwara State under the same party platform; however, his tenure was cut short after just three months when a military coup disrupted the civilian administration.
Adebayo later held the position of Minister of Communications from July 2003 to August 2006 during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term, where he played a pivotal role in advancing Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
A staunch pro-democracy activist, Adebayo was a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a group that opposed military rule and fought to restore the mandate of Chief Moshood Abiola following the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
In 1993, he declined an offer to serve in General Sani Abacha’s military regime. Following a bomb explosion in Ilorin in 1995, Adebayo and several members of NADECO were detained by police. He subsequently fled into exile in Canada in 1996 to escape further persecution by the military junta.
Before his political rise, Adebayo made significant contributions to education, serving as the Commissioner for Education in Kwara State from 1975 to 1978, a period marked by meaningful reforms.
Chief Cornelius Adebayo will be remembered for his principled leadership, unwavering dedication to democracy, and impactful service to the nation.
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