- Safiu Kehinde
A former Governor of Kwara State, Cornelius Adetunji Adebayo has died. NPO Reports that Adebayo died at the age of 84. Adebayo, who also served as a senator was at one time Federal Minister of Communications.
He reportedly passed away on Tuesday morning after a brief illness.
Adebayo’s demise was confirmed in a telephone conversation with Channels TV, a family source, who pleaded anonymity pending an official statement.
Born on 24 February 1941 in Igbaja, now part of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Adebayo enjoyed an illustrious academic and political career.
He attended All Saints Anglican School in Oke-Onigbin and Provincial Secondary School in Ilorin before proceeding to Barewa College, Zaria (1962–1963).
He later studied at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1964–1967), and the University of Ghana, Legon (1967–1969).
Prior to his political journey, Adebayo began lecturing at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1969.
By 1973, he became Head of the English Department at the Kwara State College of Technology.
Adebayo began his political career with his appointment as Kwara State Commissioner for Education and, later, Commissioner for Information and Economic Development from 1975 to 1978.
He was elected Senator under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in 1979 and became Governor of Kwara State in 1983.
However, his tenure was cut short by the military coup of 31 December 1983 led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
In 1999, Adebayo was appointed Minister of Communications under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, where he contributed to key reforms in the telecoms sector.