The ancient city of Owo in Ondo State received the crème de la crème in Nigeria’s political space on Saturday as the remains of Lady Evangelist Grace Akeredolu, mother of the Governor Rotimi Akeredolu were laid to rest.
The funeral of the nonagenarian matriarch of the Akeredolu dynasty, who died on September 15, 2022, was another reunion for rivals who briefly put politics aside and relished lighthearted laughter and hearty banters.
At the event held at the St Andrews Anglican Church in Owo, the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, met Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, one of his challengers at the party’s primary in June.
Others who were present at the church service to pay final respects to the deceased include Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) as well as former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi – all of the APC family in the South-West.
Tinubu and Osinbajo have a long history as political associates. Osinbajo had served as Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice when Tinubu was the governor of the state between 1999 and 2007.
Osinbajo later became the vice-president in 2015 when the former military head of state, Muhammadu Buhari was elected as President on the platform of the APC which Tinubu was instrumental to its establishment.
