The autobiography of the late High Chief Gabriel Akin-Deko, titled “I Drink to the Future,” will be launched on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at the Queen’s Park Event Center in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event, organized by the Akin-Deko family and the Government College Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA), will celebrate the life and times of the prominent Nigerian politician.

Written by High Chief Akin-Deko before his passing in 1987, the book chronicles his life journey, including his childhood, his experiences at Government College Ibadan, his involvement in the formation of the Action Group, his contributions to the Farm Settlement Scheme, the 1970s Idanre kingship dispute, and his role as a key member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

The book was recently discovered in the Akin-Deko Family archives and is being published in honor of the late Lisa of Idanre.

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The launch will be chaired by Chief Pius Akinyelure, Chairman of NNPCL, with Chief Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the newly elected Governor of Ondo State, serving as the special guest of honor. Key figures from the six Southwest states will also be present, including those with ties to Akin-Deko’s time as Minister for Agriculture. The event promises to be a nostalgic celebration of Nigeria’s post-independence progress.

Senator Femi Okurounmu, a prominent GCIOBA member, will review the book, and Dr. Wale Babalakin SAN, GCIOBA’s president, will lead a distinguished group of members. Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina will deliver a speech, with Yanju Adegbite serving as the master of ceremonies.

Prominent Nigerians including Prof. Jide Owoeye, Otunba Demola Odutola, Akinfemi Onadele, and Chief Jide Olatunde-Agbeja will also attend, alongside leaders from industry, the Anglican Church, and academia. Access to the event will be strictly by invitation, with heightened security.