The Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has expressed shock beyond description at the sad news of the passing of Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

In a statement he personally signed and made available to reporters in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Babalola described the late elder statesman as a legal practitioner who exhibited the four F’s: “he was frank, firm, fair, and friendly.”

The legal icon said, “the departure of the distinguished leading light in Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, who passed on at the age of 96, reminds one of the evergreen words of the Preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, which says: ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.’

“Verse 2 of the same Chapter 3 puts a tone of finality to the axiomatic postulations of the Preacher here, to wit: ‘there is a time to be born and a time to die,” he said.

Babalola, who described Chief Ayo Adebanjo as a frontline legal practitioner, said: “I saw the departed minister in the hallowed Temple of Justice at close quarters. I have seen him at work, and I have also seen him at play. I interacted with him in court and outside the court and found him to be a genial and rare professional who was dedicated to hard work.

“Our departed compatriot was a multi-talented legal practitioner, an epitome of decency, and a towering model of a quintessential gentleman who succeeded in all his endeavors. He was a loving father, a mentor, and a successful manager of men and resources who touched the lives of many as a lawyer and as a politician during his memorable sojourn on planet Earth.

“What stands this gentleman out is his vaunting patriotism, unbending determination, unalloyed selflessness, and his strength of character to use his office, and indeed, his all, for the achievement of the good of the majority.

“A most engaging personality, his brilliance and the very professional way he conducted himself both at the Bar and as a politician will remain indelible in our collective psyche. He was a firm and fervent believer in the rules, and he kept such rules to the letter. He mentored not a few and was loved, adored, and admired by many.

“During his lifetime, it was not difficult for anyone who came his way to appreciate his palpable erudition, his deep knowledge of the law, and his willingness to help others around him.

“He was a dogged and decent fighter. We will surely miss him. We will miss his brilliance and his large-heartedness. The late Chief Ayo Adebanjo was an example par excellence of a cerebral, good-natured, committed, and excellent team player who achieved peace for himself and accommodation with his environment.”

The ABUAD Chancellor said the Nigerian Bar and the political space have lost a rare and irreplaceable gem who stood and fought for the good of the majority. “Our consolation is that he did not only come, but he also saw and conquered.

“I commiserate with the good people of Ogun State, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Afenifere family, and the Adebanjo family of Ijebu land over the death of this thoroughly distinguished citizen of the world who played his part well.

“With his death, a good heart has stopped beating,” Babalola said.