"I’ll miss spending time with my father," says daughter

“I will miss talking to him on a regular basis and spending time with him,” Makinde told newsmen at the residence of her late father in Ikeja GRA in Lagos State.

She spoke as friends and well wishers poured into the Ikeja GRA residence of the late elder statesmen to pay their condolence to family members, following his death earlier in the day.

The former military governor of defunct Western Region died in Lagos on the eve of his 89th birthday.

According to Makinde, the late general did his best for his children, state and the entire nation.

“We are sad that we lost him but we have a lot of gratitude to God for his service to the nation. He was a very loving father, very handsome grandfather, very involving in all our lives that are his children.

“We were extremely close to our father. We will miss him a lot. Our father was a nationalist, his first constituency was Nigeria and Nigerian Army. Politics was not his constituency, he was a statesman.

“General was a kind man and the next word is that he was extremely generous. There are different sides to the man; to many he was extremely generous. He helped so many people out of problems,” she said.

Makinde said that the late retired general was supposed to be celebrating his 89th birthday on Thursday before his demise.

According to her, the celebration of her father is a daily affair, however, the planned 90th birthday will still hold and there will be food for everyone.

“The general is somebody we are going to celebrate all the days of our lives, not only on a particular day.

“Like all other patriots, Adeyinka gave his best for his country, not only Ekiti. He was a full fledged Nigerian,” she added.

In statement signed by his son and First Civilian Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo the family announced the death of their patriarch.

The family said that the general passed on Wednesday morning and the eve of his 89th birthday.

According to them, the General served as the military governor of the then Western region comprising Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo and some parts of Lagos State between 1966 and 1971.

The statement said that the deceased was survived by his wife, children, grand children and great grand children.

It said that the burial arrangements would be announced later.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that early callers include Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun and Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, among others.

Meanwhile, Mr Yinka Odumakin, National Publicity Secretary, Afenifere, said that though the late Adebayo was not too young to die, he would be sorely missed.

“I saw him last in his house six days ago and did not know it was the last time i would see him.

“He was a very worthy leader of the Yoruba nation who lived a good life and was one of the strong leaders who helped with the unity of the Yoruba nation,’’ Odumakin told NAN on phone.

He said that the late elder statesman would be given him a befitting burial.

Adebayo was born in 1928 in Iyin Ekiti, near Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State.

He attended All Saints School, Iyin-Ekiti, and later attended Eko Boys High School and Christ’s School Ado Ekiti.

He joined the West African Frontier Force in 1948 as a regiment signaler and later completed the Officer Cadet Training Course in Teshie, Ghana from 1950 to 1952.

He was commissioned as an officer in the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) as the 23rd West African military officer with number WA23 and 7th Nigerian military officer with number N7 after completing the War Office Cadet Training in Eaton Hall, England.

He later attended the Staff College course in Camberley (Surrey) in 1960 and the prestigious Imperial Defence College, London in late 1965 where he was the only African officer.

He was a Military governor, Western Nigeria from 1966 to1971.