A former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, has on Thursday, described Mr Bamidele Olumilua as a servant leader who was passionate about the unity of the country.
The former old Ondo State governor died in the early hours of Thursday at the age of 80.
Tinubu, in a condolence message to the family of Olumilua on Thursday, said the deceased was a servant leader and an unrelenting Patriot.
He said Olumilua provided leadership and mentoring to many during the aborted Third Republic and thereafter.
“He believed in democratic principles and worked assiduously to advance them.
“I knew this about him because we were together in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and could attest to all he did to advance the course of democracy in the land.
“He ensured the will of the people triumphed.
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“Olumilua was extremely loyal to his disciples,” Tinubu said.
He added that was why he had a large army of followers across not only the South-west but the entire country who believed in him and in what he represented.
“He was a brilliant man who was always bristling with noble and creative ideas about how to move the country forward.
“One remarkable thing also about the late Olumilua is that he was fiercely honest, almost to a fault of his,” Tinubu said.
The former Lagos State governor, who is a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) noted that as a governor of the old Ondo State, Olumilua ran a transparent and accountable government.
“Though, he was in office for a brief period of the aborted Third Republic, his contributions to the development of the old Ondo State was unmistakable.
“Evangelist Olumilua died when his wisdom and counsel are still needed by many of us and the younger generation of politicians in the country,” he said.
Tinubu, however, expressed joy that the late former governor lived a fulfilled life and attained the ripe age of 80.
He said: “We have all lost an illustrious father and leader.”
Tinubu urged everyone, especially Olumilua’s family members, to emulate his life of selfless service to the people.
