Adebayo Adefarati is a first name leader in Yorubaland taking after the clout of Obafemi Awolowo, Adekunle Ajasin and such others in that class. A strong believer in and upholder of the political and development philosophy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, his tenure as Govemor of Ondo state between 1999 and 2003 clearly demonstrated this short of what the mainstream politics and mainstream economics of the time promoted to devastate the Yorubaland political cohesion and the South Westem Nigeria development landscape. He was a leading figure in the reconstruction and development of Nigeria. Now he is in the world beyond but his good deeds follow after him.
Bom on the 14th February 1931, he started his primary education at the Holy Trinity School, Akungba Akoko in 1940.He showed exceptional brilliance and traits of intellectual endowment. He attended the prestigious Victory College, Ikare and came out in flying colours from the college. In 1958, he entered the University College, Ibadan to study History and graduated in 1961 with a honours degree in the arts.
He later went back to the University of Ibadan for his post graduate diploma in education in 1965 having taken teaching as a profession and had to take educational positions from the stage of a class teacher subject master to that of a school principal. He was a teacher in many schools and colleges between 1961 and 1965; chief among which was Kiilji Memoral College, Igbajo, Osun State. In 1966, he became the school principal of George Burton College, Ilesa at the age of 35 – a feat unusual at the time as many of his colleagues who were principals were far older than him. He was the youngest principal in the Ilesa Township at that time.
He was principal of three more schools in quick succession, namely Atakumosa High School, Osu-Ijesa from 1967 to Aug. 1975. He was the Principal of Origbo Community High School, Ipetumodu from September 1975 to August 1976 and Egbeoba High School, Ikole Ekiti, in present day Ekiti State from September 1976 to October 1979 – each school having borne his landmark achievements very visibly as schools of repute. He left the teaching service to join politics at the return to civil rule programme of the Murtala- Obasanjo military administration of 1976-1979. As a man who owns to the common goods of the general public, he played wonderful roles in social development of Ondo State each time he was in government.
Adefarati had been known to pitch his tent with the sage – the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo Way back in 1954 at the very tender age of 23, making him one of the youngest members of the action group party at the time. In politics he joined the UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria) in 1978 following the lifting• of the ban on politics and politicking by the regime of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. He took part in all campaign activities of the party and he later became a privileged member of that “Dream Team” put together by Chief 1\dekunle Ajasin during the second republic. He was Commissioner in various ministries in the government of Late Chief Ajasin whose records remain unrivalled in the history of the state.
The “Dream Team” was made of men of impeccable character who were not after the lucre of power and who, after their tenure was able to lift their heads up high. It was Adefarati’s achievements in the Ajasin’s administration that made him to be loved by all. This paid off for him in 1999 when he was . to win the primaries to contest the gov rnorship election on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) the maker and shaker political party of post Abacha dictatorship led by Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar which supervised the transition to civil rule in 1999 though far from a democratic rule in context ahd content.
Adefarati was involved in many organizations, associations and corporate businesses. He was a good grassroots man, loved, admired and adored by many. He had a simple and down to earth disposition to issues and this earned him lots of respect among the people of Ondo State in particular and Yorubaland in general. Hardly did he venture taking decision without having to take inputs from the various gra sroot levels. Between 1970 and 1972 he was a member of Akoko Local Government Magement Committee, Ikare. In 1973, he was a Director Western State Cocoa Marketing Board a post he held till late 1976. He was chairman Ondo State Schools Sport Committee between 1997-1979. General Team Manager, Ondo State Athletic Contingent to National Sport Competition in Kaduna, 1977; Team Manager, Football Team to East Mrican countries of Kenya and Tanzania in 1975; Member of Ondo State Anglican Diocesan Board 1968 to 1980 and a host of 9ther public and community services offers.
He was Vice-Chairman of NADECO and Afeniferere in Ondo State during the NADECO struggle days under the chairmanship •of Late Chief N.F. Aina- a position, he held on to until the death of former Head of State, General Abacha.
Baba Peace as Adebayo Adefarati is popularly known among the people of Ondo State and beyond is a virtue that lives on.
- Foluso Aminu was the chief of staff to late chief Adebayo Adefarati
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