NIGERIA- Saturday 10, April 2021: Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has stated that despite the relationship between him and the late Yinka Odumakin, former National publicity secretary of Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Odunmakin had publicly criticised him couple of times.

Aregbesola added that despite the public criticisms, he received them in good faith and never allowed it to affect his relationship with the late Odumakin.

The Interior Minister in his tribute titled “Yinka Odumakin: The exit of a convinced humanist”, on Saturday described   Yinka Odumakin as a tenacious advocate of democracy, federalism, justice and rule of law.

He stated that “Yinka has had to publicly criticise me a couple of times, especially when I was governor in Osun, our relationship notwithstanding. I took it in good faith, as it never affected our relationship. His criticisms were consistent with his convictions on what constitute public interest.”

“He was a tenacious advocate of his convictions; never gave up on whatever he believed in, regardless of the opposition.”

 Aregbesola, who was a ranking member of the Alliance for Democracy led by Tinubu, was Director of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation in 1998.

He recalled that he met the late Odumakin back in 1998 during the preparation for Nigeria’s return to democracy after the dark years of military tyranny.

The former governor said “How did we meet? Yinka Odumakin and Bunmi Omoshehindemi walked into my office as the CGS of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation office at Sunday Adigun St., Alausa Ikeja. It was in November of 1998.

“Both came to declare support for the candidacy of Bola Tinubu unequivocally. This was in defiant opposition to those then opposed to any form of accommodation for democratic building process without a clear resolution of the June 12 imbroglio. This was a courageous step, then considering that their position would have been considered anathema by the movement. We had since then built a robust relationship, sometimes very smooth and at times frosty, but all the time remarkable till his translation on Friday, April 2, 2021.

“I said we had a remarkable relationship because Yinka was consistent in standing up to fight for democracy, federalism, justice and rule of law. These to me are the factors for defining the dignity of man. Whoever has this commitment is an ally and a humanist.”

However, the late Afenifere spokesman later entered another political boat and became staunch critic of Tinubu, Aregbesola and many other politicians in the country.

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, paid a condolence visit to Mrs Joe Okei-Odumakin, widow of the late activist on Monday.

Tinubu stated that the story of Nigeria’s democracy will not be complete without mentioning Odumakin.