Posted by From AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
Glamorous and controversial Ibadan politician, Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu, on Wednesday passed on at the ripe age of 81. Adedibu, who is billed to celebrate his 82nd birthday in October, bid the world goodbye at the Cardiac Care section of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University College Hospital (UCH) at exactly 3.27pm.
* Adedibu, father of Amala politics, is dead
Glamorous and controversial Ibadan politician, Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu, on Wednesday passed on at the ripe age of 81. Adedibu, who is billed to celebrate his 82nd birthday in October, bid the world goodbye at the Cardiac Care section of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University College Hospital (UCH) at exactly 3.27pm.
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Ashipa (fourth in command) to Olubadan of Ibadanland, Adedibu was said to have slumped at the Oyo State Immigration office, Agodi, where he was said to have gone on Wednesday morning to perfect his papers, preparatory to a medical trip abroad.
A very close source at Molete residence of Adedibu confided in Daily Sun that Baba, as fondly called by his admirers, had on Tuesday directed the chairman of Ibadan North Local Government Area, Mr. Ademola Omotoso, to perfect his papers for the planned journey.
The reliable source disclosed that initial steps taken for his trip had failed on the insistence by immigration officials that Adedibu must show up at their office for imaging and scanning of his photograph.
The source stated that the politician was said to have been embarrassed by the request that he must show up, asking whether the woman in-charge of the office could not recognize his name.
His aides were said to have prevailed on him to visit the immigration office, while explaining that the request that he should show up personally at their office was the new system embarked upon by the organization.
Due to the failing health of the controversial politician, he was said to have been taken to Lagos early morning of Wednesday for a check up before coming to Ibadan to perfect his papers.
'If you see Baba on Tuesday you will know that he was not well at all. He was draped in a wrapper while reading the newspapers. Some people even came to apologize on behalf of one of his supporters who offended him but everybody's attention was drawn to his failing health," the source stated.
Adedibu's personal assistant, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, who was also the former deputy-governor of the state during the 11 months illegal impeachment of the erstwhile governor of the state, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, led the convoy of aides of Adedibu that rushed him to the hospital.
Other on the entourage included, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Alhaji Razaq Gbadegesin; Chairman, Oyo State Water Corporation, Chief Nureni Akanbi; Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Soji Adejumo; Chairmen, Ibadan North and Ibadan South-West Local Government Areas, Messrs. Demola Omotoso and Tajudeen Alesinloye.
Others include his Personal Assistant, Alhaji Usman Marafa, Media Relations Officer, Mr. Yaya Adetunji, Hon. Ganiyu Adedokun. The convoy of aides later left the hospital at 4.45p.m in about 50 state-of-the-art cars.
Speaking on Adedibu's death, Chairman, Advisory Medical Council of UCH, Dr. Adeniji Adenipekun, told newsmen that the lifeless body of Adedibu was brought to the hospital around 2.30pm on Wednesday from the immigration office where he slumped.
The doctor said: 'He was immediately rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, where we did everything possible to revive him. We invariably gave up on him when all efforts failed.
'We learnt they took him to the hospital in Lagos for a routine medical check up. I think they told him there to undergo further treatment abroad."
He said that the hospital could not ascertain the cause of his death because his aides kicked against post mortem for the deceased politician, while the hospital did not have his medical record since he was not their primary patient.
Adedibu could not be buried on Wednesday according to Islamic rites as Daily Sun learnt that Governor Alao-Akala, who was on a trip to France with President Umaru Yar'Adua, asked that the burial should be delayed till his arrival.
Early callers to the UCH on Wednesday were; Speaker of the state's House of Assembly, Hon Maruf Atitlola, accompanied by PDP members in the House; Mrs. Lanre Adedeji-Otiti, former member of the state Hospital Management Board.
It was learnt on Wednesday that preparations were on top gear to bury the 'father of Amala politics" at his sprawling Molete, Ibadan.