Jonathan, Lagos PDP Mourn Odumakin

Former President Goodluck Jonathan last Saturday expressed sadness over the death of Afenifere Spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, describing his death as shocking.
Jonathan in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Ikechukwu Eze, in Abuja, described Odumakin as a courageous patriot and rights crusader who contributed so much to the development of the nation.
In a message titled ‘A Great Voice for Equity is Gone’, the former president said that the deceased “played active roles in the years of activism that birthed and stabilised civil rule in our country.
“I received with sadness the news of the death of Odumakin.
“He was a courageous patriot and rights crusader who gave his all to the struggle for a better Nigeria.
“He was a great asset for just causes whose considerable contributions to the growth of civil society is not in doubt.
“He also acquitted himself as a seasoned journalist and columnist who promoted egalitarianism and social well-being, in his regular essays,” he said.
Jonathan said that Odumakin exited the world with rich democratic credentials, having played active roles in the years of activism that birthed and stabilised civil rule in our country.
“As a cultural enthusiast, Odumakin lived his short life as a force to be reckoned with in propagating and protecting the interest of the Yoruba people in the larger Nigeria social space.
”This is not a time to lose such a strong promoter of the ideals that would progress our nation in the desired direction of a united, just and equitable society,” he said.
Jonathan condoled the wife of the deceased, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, other members of his family, the Afenifere sociocultural association and the entire civil society.
“I pray God to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest and bless Dr Okei-Odumakin with the strength of spirit to bear the loss and sustain the crusade for a just society,” he said.
In its own reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State said the Spokesman of a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, spoke and fought for the masses.
The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Taofik Gani told newsmen that, Yinka Odumakin lived a fulfilled life, fighting and speaking for the downtrodden, devalued ethnic groups and the nation at large.
“We cannot forget his outspokenness on national issues and fight for equal rights amongst ethnic nationalities. He spoke truth to power”.
The PDP spokesman added that Odumakin surprised the party when he was invited as speaker at a Democracy Day symposium. He honoured the invitation and spoke the truth to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and PDP.
“A rare breed, Odumakin will be missed. We hope the nation can have many of his kind to replace the vacuum created by his death,” Gani said.
Gani, who said that the party commiserated with Afenifere, Odumakin’s immediate family and civil society organisations, prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
Our source reports that Odumakin reportedly died of complications from COVID-19 at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja in the early hours of Saturday.