Ekiti APC chairman is dead, Fayemi, others mourn

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Paul Omotosho, is dead.

Mr Omotosho died in the early hours of Wednesday after a brief illness.

The APC chairman, who was said to have attended political activities on Monday, complained of fever on Tuesday and was rushed to a hospital in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, where he later died.

The APC state publicity secretary, Segun Dipe, confirmed the development.

Mr Omotosho was abducted last July along the Imesi-Agbado Road in the state but was later released.

Condolences have been pouring in for the late party chairman, including from a former governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi.

Mr Fayemi, in his condolence message, said the APC in Ekiti has lost its pillar.

He described the late party chairman as a dedicated leader, unifier and pillar of the party in the state.

In a statement by the head of his media office in Abuja, Ahmad Sajoh, Mr Fayemi said the sudden departure of Mr Omotosho has left a void difficult to fill within the APC family in the state.

He described the late Mr Omotosho as a tireless leader and steadfast supporter of the APC’s principles and agenda in Ekiti state.

“Under his stewardship, our party achieved significant victories in recent elections, gaining the trust of our people. This would not have been possible without his commitment to uniting our members and working selflessly for the greater good of our state and nation,’’ he said.

Mr Fayemi recalled that Mr Omotosho was a long-standing progressive who had been an official of the party since the Alliance for Democracy days, and later was secretary and chairman of the APC, after serving as Commissioner for Local Government and Environment between 2010 and 2014, during Mr Fayemi’s first term as governor.

“On behalf of my family, I extend my deep condolences to the Ekiti State chapter of the APC, the family and associates of the late chairman and the people of Ekiti on this irreparable loss.

‘’May the soul of the deceased rest in peace, and may God grant his family and loved ones the fortitude to bear this loss,” Mr Fayemi said.

In his reaction, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, described the death of Mr Omotosho, as shocking and devastating.
Mr Bamidele stated this in a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to Mr Bamidele, a great political void has been created in the state, following the sudden death of the APC chairman.

He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the politician, his community and the government and people of Ekiti.

Mr Bamidele urged them to take solace in the fact that Mr Omotosho lived for the good of mankind.

According to him, Mr Omotosho’s death, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, is personally shocking to him and devastating to the entire progressive family, not only in Ekiti but in Nigeria at large.

The lawmaker said that the contributions of the 61-year-old politician to the development of Ekiti, especially at the grassroots, were of immense measure.

He noted that Mr Omotosho played his politics with decorum, good conscience and purposeful leadership.

“With great concern, I join Ekiti sons and daughters to mourn the sudden passing of our state party chairman, Paul Omotosho, who I always describe as a man with great political maturity and purposeful leadership.

“His tenures as a former State Commissioner, former State Secretary of our great political party and the chairmanship which he held until his death were testimonies to his clear direction as a leader and his servant-leader dispositions.

“The remarkable contributions he made and the gaps left behind by the Imesi Ekiti-born politician can not be forgotten and dumped in the dustbin of history.

“His contributions to the formation of APC and his ability to steer the affairs of the state chapter at most difficult instances are part of the memories that we shall live with for a long time,” the senator remarked.

Also, Governor Abiodun Oyebanji, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, said he was shocked and devastated by the news of the demise of the party chairman.

According to him, the deceased did not show any sign of illness during their last meeting.

Mr Oyebanji, who said that he was yet to come to terms with the demise of the APC chairman, described Mr Omotosho as a dependable brother and ally.

The governor said that the late chairman was a great and invaluable asset to the APC family as well as the government.

According to him, Mr Omotosho would be eternally remembered as the first party chairman in the state to achieve a back-to-back victory for a party in the political history of Ekiti State.

The governor said the deceased’s selflessness and sacrifices, contributed to the internal cohesion, “which made the Ekiti APC an unstoppable election-winning machine in local government, state and national elections conducted during his chairmanship.”

This, he said, was made possible by Mr Omotosho’s administrative acumen, diligence, maturity, managerial and diplomatic skills, as well as conflict resolution ingenuity, which he deployed in managing the affairs of the party and its teeming members.

The governor said that Mr Omotosho excelled in the previous public offices held, including Special Adviser on Legal Matters, Special Adviser on Political Matters, and Commissioner.

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“We have lost a dependable pillar in Ekiti development and partner in our development effort as a government. We have lost a great leader, a peacemaker, a humble servant of the people and an altruistic party organiser.

“On behalf of the government and the good people of the state, I express condolences to the immediate family of our late chairman and the people of Imesi Ekiti and the entire members of APC.

“Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of the deceased. May God grant them and every one of us the fortitude to bear this great loss. And may God grant our dear departed brother eternal rest,” the governor added.