The rampaging global pandemic, COVID-19 dealt another serious blow to Nigeria’s political class as a top chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Lagos State, Chief Lanre Razak, a.k.a KLM, succumbed to it.
Razak, also a member of the state Governor’s Advisory Council, died in the early hours of Saturday, aged 73.
An obituary of the departed APC top notch posted on Facebook, on Saturday, by Chief Bayo Osiyemi, veteran journalist and Chief Press Secretary to the first civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, said Razak died of COVID-19.
“Lagos State boisterous politician and the Balogun of Epe, Chief Lanre Rasaq is dead,’ Osiyemi wrote.
“He succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic on Lagos after a long battle with it.
“Chief Rasaq was a member of the state’s Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) and was a one-time chairman of Epe local government before he was elevated to becoming the state commissioner for transportation in the military administration of Col Olagunsòyè Oyinlola.
“Bìg and burly, KLM, as he was widely known, was a member of several social organisations.
“He ran a flourishing construction company which was involved in many housing programs of govt on private-pinlic partnership basis.”
Until his death, the APC was strongly considering Razak as a possible replacement for Senator Bayo Osinowo, who, incidentally, died of COVID-19 recently.
Razak, joined the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, at the onset of this democracy in 1999 from where he contested that year’s gubernatorial vote against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He would later cross to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In 2011, he joined the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and became a force to reckon with in the camp of Progressives.
The dead politician held the chieftaincy titles of Balogun of Epeland as well as the Fiwagbade of Lagos.