…Describes Him As Political Compass
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has felicitated the first interim National Chairman of the party, Chief AbdulKareem Bamidele Adebisi Akande, on his 87th birthday anniversary, describing him as a repository of the ingredients of progressive politics in Nigeria.
According to the State Chairman of the party, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the state party’s spokesman, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, on Friday, Chief Akande remains a veritable source of knowledge to both practising and upcoming politicians across the nation.
Lawal stated that the ‘Birthday Boy’, who was the Osun State governor between 1999 and 2003, is an embodiment of hard work, discipline, prudence and honesty with which he successfully transformed the state beyond the imagination of the people in spite of the paucity of funds.
The state APC chairman also hinted that it would not be an overstatement to observe that Pa Akande, who is one of the surviving graduates of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s informal School of Progressive Politics, actually impacted Osun State positively when nature conferred the political leadership of the state on him.
He stated further that the contributions of Chief Akande towards the development of the state are monumental and indelible to the extent that there’s no way the history of the state could be written as a whole without devoting a notable part of it to the Ila-Orangun-born political enigma.
Lawal explained that Pa Akande has proven, through his actions and inactions, as a worthy ambassador of his community, the state and the entire nation, as his name is synonymous with discipline, honesty, frankness and good governance.
He congratulated the people of Ila-Orangun, the hometown of the ‘Birthday Boy’, for being specially favoured to have been gifted with a son like Chief Bisi Akande, who has put the name of the community on the world map through his selfless services as both a private and public officer.
Lawal also observed that the totality of the life of Pa Akande, a self-made man who rose to the limelight through discipline, hard work and prayers, should provoke a comprehensive research to enrich the body of knowledge that would be immensely beneficial to both the existing and incoming generations.
In the words of the Osun State APC chairman: “On behalf of my family and all the members of the APC in Osun State, I am joining your numerous admirers to wish you a happy 87th birthday anniversary with a supplication to Allah to extend His magnanimity to you to spend many more fruitful years in the land of the living.
“As our political compass and pathfinder, we shall continue to wish you a sound health and fulfilled aspirations in all ramifications in your advanced age to enable us to continue to drink from your abundant fountain of political knowledge”, Lawal prayed.
