The family of Lamidi Akanbi Ariyibi Adedibu has demanded the immediate inclusion of his name among honourees of the recently concluded Oyo State 50th anniversary, citing what it described as a glaring omission by the organisers.
The demand was contained in a letter authored by the head of the Adedibu family, Abass Aderemi Adedibu, and addressed to the Chairman of the Oyo@50 Anniversary Planning Committee, Saheed Fijabi.
In the letter, Aderemi expressed displeasure that the name of the late political figure was missing from the list of awardees reportedly recommended to the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for recognition during the golden jubilee celebration.
According to him, the omission undermines the significant role played by the late Adedibu in the political development of Oyo State and Nigeria. He noted that Adedibu was instrumental in the emergence of the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola as presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party during the party’s 1992 primaries held in Plateau State.
The family head further recalled that Adedibu was once described by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the “Garrison Commander of Nigerian politics,” a title he said reflected the late politician’s influence and standing.
Aderemi urged the anniversary committee chairman to urgently review the honours list and include Adedibu’s name, while also calling for a formal apology to the family over the omission.
He warned that failure to address the issue would compel the family to forward a copy of the letter to the governor, urging him to disregard the committee’s recommendations on the grounds of alleged bias.
As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo@50 anniversary committee had not issued an official response to the family’s demands.
