How Ajanaku, others persuaded me to contest for President – Obasanjo

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday expressed shock on the death of his erstwhile Presidential Adviser on Women Affairs, Chief (Mrs) Titilayo Ajanaku. Obasanjo recalled how the late Nursing professional and other Nigerians visited him in 1998 to persuade him to contest for the Presidential election. The death of the late first chairman of the […]

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday expressed shock on the death of his erstwhile Presidential Adviser on Women Affairs, Chief (Mrs) Titilayo Ajanaku.

Obasanjo recalled how the late Nursing professional and other Nigerians visited him in 1998 to persuade him to contest for the Presidential election.

The death of the late first chairman of the Abeokuta local government, Ogun State, was confirmed by her son in a telephone chat with the former President in the early hours of yesterday. She was 73.

Obasanjo described Ajanaku as a woman “who would do everything in her capacity to uplift, improve and advance the cause of women”, saying this largely formed reasons for her appointment as his Women Adviser, a position he asserted she served creditably well.

In a release by his Special Assistant (Media), Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo further described Ajanaku as a woman of great substance in her own right.

The former President, who wrote a personal condolence letter to the head of the Ajanaku family, stated that Chief Ajanaku played a prominent role in his decision to contest for the post of President in 1998.

“It was partly their persuasion and that of other groups alike that later yielded my final submission to contest for the office of the President of Nigeria.

“In her lifetime, Chief (Mrs) Ajanaku had a genuine desire to contribute her quota to building a better society through advocacy for fundamental human rights and service to humanity. She was an activist dedicated to the cause of protecting the rights of women within the context of culture, policy and law.  An advocate of gender balance, she remained mindful of those fundamental responsibilities of women, which remain critical to family life and family stability.

“As an exemplary patriot, her rare courage and contributions laid a solid foundation for Ogun State and for Nigerian women to take their rightful position in our nation’s polity. To women, she occupied a special place as a mother, role model and source of inspiration, a redoubtable champion and defender of women’s rights.

“As we bid her goodbye, we must resolve that her great labour of love shall not be in vain,” Obasanjo said.