Through Florence, the Ajimobi legacy continues to thrive

BY AKINJIDE KAZEEM AKINOLA

Five years ago, one of Oyo state’s most impactful politician of all time, Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi, left the world, leaving his thousands of supporters and political mentees, myself inclusive, in a mourning state till now.

I was sad when Ajimobi, Oyo’s Koseleri, died for several reasons. He was a people-oriented man that thousands relied on for survival. He was a political force that many rallied around. He was a point of difference in the state and beyond, marshaling his political acumen and personal resources for the benefit of all. He was my mentor.

At the time, many concluded that his death marked not only the end of his presence as a rallying force in the state, but also the final moments of the role that the Ajimobi political dynasty plays in the state’s politics.

Five years after, it’s obvious to us all that they couldn’t have been more wrong. The reason for this is simple: Florence, the matriarch of the Ajimobi family has held the forth in ways many did not believe was possible.

To talk about Florence Ajimobi and the role she continues to play in the lives of thousands of people, the continuous survival of the Ajimobi political family, and the affairs of the progressive political clan in the state, we must take a look at one of the most defining origins of her name: Florence.

The renaissance period is today considered as one of the most important phases of human history. In its twilight between the 14th and 16th centuries, an Italian city was considered central and pivotal to its existence. That city, named Firenze in Italian, is called Florence in English.

Like Florence the city, Florence the matriarch, has held the forth for the Ajimobi family across all spheres of influence.

During this year’s Ramadan, I watched keenly as she distributed food items to thousands of citizens of the state and host hundreds of others every day to break their fast. She has done this, through the Ajimobi Food Bank, at a scale that mirrors what the Family did while my political mentor, the late Abiola Ajimobi was still with us.

Another clear cut example of the amazing way she has kept the legacy and influence of the Ajimobi family alive is evident in the annual Senator Annual Abiola Ajimobi Foundation Roundtable. In December, the 7th edition of the event, which now doubles as a posthumous birthday for her late husband, held at the University of Ibadan’s Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies with the same quality, vigour, and grandiose that the late Ajimobi intended when he started it as a platform for critical conversations necessary for the country’s growth.

As the rallying force of her late husband’s political family, she continues to engage with stakeholders across all levels, organizing regular meetings, and grassroots consultations, among other activities necessary to oil the vehicle of an influential political structure.

In the same vein, she continues to transform thousands of lives through her Access to Basic Care Foundation, which will clock 13 in July this year. The foundation continues to provide support for people in critical areas, including cancer and maternal healthcare, improving health outcomes in the state. The foundation’s home, ABC House, also continues to provide for scores of children she now calls her own.

I was again emotional yesterday when she pulled people together to remember the death of her late friend and husband. That tells me a story— marry someone who would continue to remember you, even in death.

Akinola, CEO of Akinza Group, is an aspirant for Egbeda/Ona-Ara seat in the House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.