One of Nigeria’s most prominent politicians and a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lamidi Adedibu, has died at the age of 80, the News Agency of Nigeria reported Wednesday.
Adedibu died at the University College Hospital in the South-west city of Ibadan, where he was rushed in the early hours of Wednesday.
The late politician was deeply loved by his followers and bitterly despised by his opponents, who believe he encourage thuggery in politics as a means to an end.
Hailed as the ”father of the PDP” by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, it is believed that no one assumed any political post in the South-west Oyo state without Adedibu’s stamp hence the sobriquet ‘ the strong man of Ibadan politics’. Ibadan is the state capital.
NAN reported that his death triggered massive wailing in the old city, where most shops were quickly shut as a mark of respect for him.
