Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; former governors of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Segun Oni, and Majority Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, have condoled with a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Ekiti North Senatorial candidate in the February election, Funso Ayeni, over his mother’s death, Victoria Yewande Ayeni, aged 83.

Others, who also commiserated with the PDP’s chieftain include a former Minority Leader in the Senate, Abiodun Olujimi; former Chairman of Ekiti State Local Government Commission, Sola Omotoso and a former member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Samuel Omotoso.

Fayemi, Oni, Bamidele and Olujimi, who separately condoled with the Ekiti State-born politician, said his mother lived a fulfilled life.
Ooni, who urged Ayeni to put his solace in the exemplary life lived by his late mother, urged him not to derail in his service to the society.
Omotoso, in a statement he personally signed, urged the deceased family, friends and associates, as well as indigenes of Ilamo- Ekiti in Ikole Local Council of Ekiti State, to put their solace in the fact that Mama Ayeni lived a life worthy of emulation.

Meanwhile, Ayeni has described the condolence messages from various Ekiti State leaders who share different political leanings as humbling and a confirmation of the cosmopolitan nature of Ekiti people.

“Though we are mourning our darling mother, events in the last 72 hours have further assured me that Ekiti is one indivisible entity. I am humbled for the way Ekiti leaders identified with me over the death of our mother. Former Governor Fayemi is a leader in the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Governor Oni is in Social Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Bamidele is also a member of the ruling APC, but despite our different political parties, they see me first as their own ‘aburo’ and reached out to me over my mum’s death. I am indebted to them all,” Ayeni said.