Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu, others bid Akande’s wife farewell

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed “heart-felt” sadness over the death of Madam Omowunmi Bisi Akande, wife of former Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Adebisi Akande, whose remains were interred yesterday at Ila-Orangun, Osun State.

A letter penned by him on the heels of an earlier telephone call to the bereaved and made available to newsmen by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, read in part: “I received the very sad news of the death of your dearly beloved wife, Madam Omowunmi Akande, this morning. Please extend my personal condolences to the immediate and wider Akande family and to friends of the family for this irreparable loss.

“May Allah give you the strength to endure her passing away.” Mrs. Akande died at the age of 73 on Tuesday at a private hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Also, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has commiserated with Akande.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo yesterday, the governor expressed sadness over the unfortunate death of Mrs. Omowunmi Akande.

Meanwhile, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday led other eminent Nigerians to the country-home of Akande to bid his late wife farewell.

Four of the South-West governors, Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), joined the Acting President to honour Akande’s family.

Others in attendance included the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Segun Oni; former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Iyiola Oladokun; national and state legislators; former Inspector-General of Police, Chief Tafa Balogun; APC leaders and members across Nigeria, top government functionaries and captains of industry, among others.‎

Osinbajo and Aregbesola in their separate remarks at the occasion, sued for continued unity and peaceful co-existence of Nigerian people.

They noted that the deceased spent her entire life to service God and humanity.

Osinbajo, who represented his boss, called on Nigerians to support the policies of the present administration in the country, a move, he said, was designed to rescue the country out of her current predicaments.

He said: “We thank God that Mama lived a life worthy of emulation. We thank God that she lived a life that we can remember with joy, a life that we can remember with thanksgiving.”

Aregbesola, who described the deceased as a woman of many parts, implored the children and other members of the extended family to take solace in the peaceful transition of the deceased to glorious home.