The elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, has passed away at the age of 100. According to various sources, Fasoranti died on Tuesday in Akure, Ondo State. His death has been met with widespread condolences from Nigerian leaders across the political spectrum.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described Fasoranti as a patriot and elder statesman, saying that his death was a great loss to the country. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also mourned the loss of Fasoranti, extending his condolences to the family and the Yoruba nation. Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State also took to Twitter to express his condolences, saying that Nigeria had lost a democratic icon.
Fasoranti was a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, particularly during the struggle for the actualization of the June 12, 1993, presidential election result, which was annulled by then-Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and played a significant role in the pro-democracy movement.
As news of Fasoranti’s death spread, tributes poured in from Nigerians and international leaders alike. His death has been described as a loss to the Yoruba nation, Nigeria, and Africa as a whole.
Premium Times Nigeria, Punch Newspapers, and Google News were among the sources for this report.
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