The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, saluted the erstwhile leader of the group, the late Abraham Adesanya, for his democratic ideals, as well as his being a true architect of hope.

According to the foremost Yoruba group, Adesanya, who died 17 years ago, was not only a beacon of progressive thought but also an unrelenting advocate for true federalism.

Adesanya, a lawyer and senator who was the leader of Afenifere and a founding member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), passed away in 2008, following a protracted illness. He was a businessman and the leader of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

The Ijebu-Igbo-born politician was elected a senator on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the Second Republic. Afenifere, in a statement by its National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, and made available to The Guardian, said Adesanya’s life embodied a profound devotion to the ideals of justice, liberty, and national equity.

Omololu said: “On this solemn day, Afenifere honours the memory of Senator Abraham Adesanya, a titan of conscience, courage, and unyielding patriotism, as well as a beacon of progressive thought and an unrelenting advocate for true federalism.”

“In an era marked by dictatorship and democratic subversion, he stood firm, a lone voice of moral authority when many had fallen silent. His leadership of Afenifere was distinguished not by bluster, but by a dignified tenacity that galvanised a generation yearning for a Nigeria governed by fairness and reason.

“Adesanya understood that nations are not sustained by mere geographical boundaries but by structures built on consensus, equity, and mutual respect. “His calls for restructuring were neither whimsical nor opportunistic; they were borne of a sagacious understanding that the strength of a nation lies in the inclusivity of its foundations.

“Today, as we reflect on the life of this great statesman, we are reminded that leadership is not merely about office but about service to enduring principles.

“Afenifere salutes Papa Abraham Adesanya, a steadfast sentinel of democratic ideals and a true architect of hope.”