Adeleke buried amidst tears, Amosun rescues Aregbesola’s aide from mob, Saraki visits family, Ambode, Bode George mourn

Senator Isiaka Adeleke was buried at his residence in Ede, Osun State on Monday.
The corpse was brought to the residence from Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo about 10:46am, where the Chief Imam of Ede, Alhaji Moshood Akaje, performed the funeral prayers at 11:03 am.
Adeleke’s body was immediately buried after the prayers, amidst tears by families, friends and political associates.
Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, were among the dignitaries that attended the burial.
But for the timely intervention of Amosun and his security aides, an aide to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Mrs. Idiat Babalola, would have been lynched by an angry crowd.
Some of the protesters were heard shouting that the state government had a hand in Adeleke’s death because of his ambition to governor the state in 2018.
Adeleke was the first civilian governor of the South-West state between January 1992 and November 1993 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Third Republic.
On sighting Babalola, the crowd became uncontrollable, insisting that she must leave the venue.
To carry out their threat, the canopy where the governors, Babalola and others were sitting was pulled down.
She was immediately mobbed.
Amosun had to personally rescue her before she was shielded out of the venue.
It was a tough job for the Ogun governor as she held Babalola tightly.
Some of Amosun’s security aides drew their guns.
A policeman threatened to shoot one of the rioters when he was moving too close to the governor.
Outside, when she was about to enter her car, some of the protesters moved to run after her.
Again, Amosun had to personally block some of them.
It took the intervention of policemen to ferry her out of the residence.
The atmosphere at the late senator’s  house was tense  as sympathisers and family members  were weeping profusely.
Earlier in his sermon,  Alhaji Ibrahim Adekilekun, the Chief Imam of Ansarudeen, Ede, described Adeleke as a man loved by all during his life time.
Adekilekun, who noted that death is inevitable for all humans, urged family members not to fight anyone over Adeleke’s death.
Meanwhile, the Osun Government has declared a three-day mourning in the state.
This is contained in a statement by Mr Semiu Okanlawon, media aide to Gov Rauf Aregbesola on Monday in Osogbo.
“This is in honour of the departed first Civilian Governor of the State of Osun, Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.
“The three-day mourning period commences from Monday, April 24, 2017.
“During the period of mourning, all flags are to fly half mast,” the statement said.
Adeleke, 62, was the Senator representing Osun West Senatorial District at the Senate under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC) before his death on Sunday at a private hospital in Osogbo.
Meanwhile, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Monday paid a condolence visit to the family of Adeleke in Ede. 
He said Adeleke’s sudden death was a great loss not only to the state, but the country at large.
Saraki, who described Adeleke as a good and jovial man during his life time, said he would be greatly missed by all.
The Senate President said the way and manner people were crying over his death was a pointer to the fact that Adeleke was a man loved by all.
“I am here as the Senate President as well as a family member to pay my condolence.
“Adeleke’s sudden death is a great loss to us, but it is our prayer that Allah will grant him eternal rest.
“We are still in shock. It is indeed a great loss.
“It is certain that we will all die one day, but the time and day is what we don’t know.
“It is our prayer that God will give the family the strength to bear the shock.’’
Saraki was received by the brother of the deceased, Mr Deji Adeleke.
Responding on behalf of the family, Deji said the family was still in pain over the sudden death of his brother.
He said that the family loved him and he was a perfect gentleman.
“On behalf of my family, I want to appreciate my brother, the Senate President for this visit.
“It is my prayer that God will continue to give him strength to move the country forward,’’ he said.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Monday expressed sadness over the death.
Ambode, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Habib Aruna, said Adeleke’s death was a huge loss to the entire South-West zone and the Yoruba race.
“I was deeply shocked to learn of his death. Only last month, he was in Lagos to join us celebrate our Party Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“He made his mark first as the first civilian governor of Osun and then as a Senator; he was one of the most prominent lawmakers who did not shy away from issues that affected Nigerians in general.
“He was very passionate about Nigeria’s progress and contributed immensely to the expansion of progressive politics, especially in the South-West”.
Ambode described Adeleke as a loving man, a peace maker, a grassroots politician and a detribalised Nigerian who was well loved by his people.
The governor prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul and urged his family to draw strength from the fact that he made meaningful impact during his life time.
Ambode also commiserated with the people of Osun, especially the people of Osun West Senatorial Zone and the State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, over the irreparable loss.
“On behalf of my family and the good people of Lagos State, I want to express our heartfelt condolence to the family of Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, the people of South-West Nigeria and Nigerians in general on this great and irreparable loss.
“He will be sorely missed,” he said.
The Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, Chief Bode George, also mourned Adeleke.
In a statement, he said: “The news of the sudden death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke has hit me with shock, with deep, searing sorrow  and with painful unbelief. What a tragedy! What a great loss not only to Osun State but to the Yoruba race and the whole nation !
“Senator Adeleke was a humble, humane and decent man. He was an outstanding grassroots politician whose predication was the total devotion to the needs and the progress of his people. 
“He was warm, affable, stripped of envy, without malice or hate. His political viewpoint was basically civil, courteous, virtually unknown to crude demagoguery. He made friends easily, courting people from both sides of the partisan divide. “He served his people with total devotion and love, making incredible sacrifice in the belief that public service must be nurtured upon truth and selflessness.
“Each I came to Ede to campaign, he would leave his whole house to me and my team in a rare sense of courtesy and selfless service to our party before he crossed to the other side.
“Even at the other side, our friendship remained intact, unchanged by partisan coloration. He remained his typical sociable and polite self, always giving elders their deserved respect. I never saw him angry or abusive. He was always calm, resolute with polish and panache. He was always full of life, full of optimism with strong progressive vision. 
“I commiserate with his brother, Deji, and the rest of the Adeleke family. May the good lord grant them the strength to bear this great loss.”
Late Adeleke was a three-term Senator representing Osun West Senatorial district having won the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015.
Adeleke died on Sunday at Bikets Hospital in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, after a heart attack, according to family sources.
Adeleke, the first civilian governor of Osun state dumped the Peoples Democratic Party in 2014.
While leading his supporters to defect to APC, Adeleke said he and his followers were no longer safe in the party after an alleged assault on him by the then Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, and candidate of the PDP, Iyiola Omisore‎,.
The former governor claimed he was called upon by the leaders of the PDP to contest the governorship seat in Osun having realised that Omisore stood no chance against the incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola, but he later felt betrayed and hounded.
“I was asked to come and vie for governorship that Omisore is not capable, I accepted, but a day to the congress, I got to the hotel in Osogbo.
“The people I sent there were on the floor with guns pointed at their heads and I told the police that they were members of our party‎ from Ede.
“I then moved towards the room where I met Sogo Agboola, Jelili Adesiyan, Iyiola Omisore, Gani Olaoluwa and others.
“As I was about explaining what happened outside to the minister, he descended on me with blows. So, also was Omisore and others.
“They are a party breeding thugs. How can a whole minister of the Federal Republic be boxing?
“I have nothing against PDP, but I don’t see myself working for a criminal. I can’t support a violent person to go to the Government House.”