We celebrate, not mourn Akintola, says Olubadan
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to imbibe the enduring qualities of courage, resilience, unity, and the politics of cooperation exemplified by the late Samuel Akintola, while consciously eschewing bitterness, acrimony, and divisive tendencies in national life.
 
Tinubu made the call through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, who represented him at the 2026 Samuel Akintola Memorial Lecture and the 60th Remembrance of the former Premier of Western Nigeria, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.
 
However, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, said the gathering was not one of mourning but of celebration of a life devoted to public service.
 
The President, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, conveyed his warm greetings to participants and described the memorial lecture, with the theme, ‘Unity in Diversity: Lessons from Chief Ladoke Akintola’s Legacy’, as a fitting tribute to one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists whose life and sacrifice remain central to the country’s historical journey.
 
According to the President, Akintola, like many other leaders of Nigeria’s formative years, paid the ultimate price so that the nation could attain its full potential .
 
He recalled that the January 15, 1966, military coup extinguished many national leaders in their prime and set Nigeria on a difficult path but stressed that the country had endured and will continue to prevail as one strong, indivisible nation.

Akume and Ladoja, yesterday, led other dignitaries to the 60th remembrance of Akintola in Ibadan.
 
Also present at the memorial were the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare; Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin; Chief Judge of Oyo, Justice Iyabo Yerima; Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Germany, Prof. Akinjide Osuntokun and others.
 
The event, which marked six decades since the assassination of the former premier during Nigeria’s first military coup in January 1966, drew political leaders, traditional rulers, jurists and family members who gathered to reflect on Akintola’s legacy and contributions to the development of the old Western Region and Nigeria at large.
 
Speaking as chairman of the occasion, the Olubadan said: “Today, we are not mourning Akintola; we are celebrating him. What he wanted to do, he could not finish, but he left behind people who can do even more.”
 
He described the late premier as a courageous leader whose vision and sacrifices continued to inspire successive generations of Nigerians.
 
Other speakers at the event also paid glowing tributes to Akintola, describing him as a statesman, a nationalist and a pillar of the old Western Region whose impact is still felt in the political and socio-economic development of the South-West.