Mrs. Omotola Oyediran, the eldest daughter of the first premier of the western region, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo has said that someday a member of her family will become the President of Nigeria.
She said this while hosting dignitaries that visited Awolowo family house in Ikenne, yesterday over the death of their matriarch, Chief HID Awolowo, who died last Saturday.
Oyediran said ”I used to pray daily that, one day, a descendant of the Awolowo family will become the President of Nigeria, but I stopped and I do not know why I stopped, but I want to say it again that one day a descendant of the Awolowos will become the President of Nigeria.”
The dignitaries include Oba Adeoye Adefarakan, Oloyere of Iyere Ife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Chairman of the Yoruba Council of Elders, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo; Chairman of Oodua Investment Group, Dr. Isaac Akintade; Representatives of traditional rulers of Ife; Mrs. Kofoworola Akerele-Bucknor; members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi Ishola; wife of the governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun; Gen Oladipupo Diya among others.
Senator Tinubu while paying tribute said “We have lost a woman of substance. An enigma, a woman of all seasons that touched virtually all spheres of life. She came, saw and conquered. A mother, wife, political icon. A woman of many parts. A role model personified. A mother I loved and admired. A loss not only to her biological children, but to the Yoruba race and Nigeria at large.”
Ife Traditional Council of Kings led by Oba Adeoye Adefarakan, Oloyere of Iyere Ife also added that “the Ife Kingdom appreciates the contributions of Papa and Mama to the unity of Yorubaland. What we can say of Mama and Papa is that they contributed greatly to the development of Ife kingdom. This place (Ikenne) is the headquarters of Yorubaland in terms of politics and administration while Ife is the home of Yorubas.”