Eighteenth (18th) October of every year has been designated by the Ado Ekiti community and the Ewi-in-Council for the celebration of legal luminary and Founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola.
This was disclosed to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, former special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on political matters.
Senator Ojudu said the maiden edition of Afe Babalola Day will hold in Ado Ekiti, Babalola’s hometown on Friday, October 18, 2024.
Ojudu who is the co-chairman of the planning committee for the event named dignitaries expected to grace the occasion to include former President Olusegun Obasanjo; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, among other personalities.
The former lawmaker said the celebration of the octogenarian and philanthropist was in recognition of his humanitarian services and contribution to the development his community, Ekiti and Nigeria at large.
The event, according to Ojudu will be held within the Palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe who approved the date for the annual celebration of Babalola.
Ojudu added that Ado-Ekiti indigenes from home and abroad will be around to play host to dignitaries from all walks of life to celebrate the elder statesman for impacting the lives of the people for almost 70 years.
The former presidential aide stressed that Aare Babalola has demonstrated his commitment to the development of the society through his legal practice, the establishment of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), the multisystem hospital and the industrial park which he cited all in Ado Ekiti.
Ojudu called on the Ekiti State Government to honour his legal icon, while also urging the federal government to confer Nigeria’s honour of the Grand Commander of Officers of the Niger (GCON) on Aare Babalola while still alive.
“Our revered traditional ruler, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, after due consultations with the chiefs and every son and daughter of the community, set aside the date to celebrate and honour one of our own, Aare Afe Babalola, for his contributions to humanity.
“On October 18, our monarch will be hosting personalities across the globe in the palace for the celebration of a man we can describe as a rare breed and special being. You will agree with me that Baba deserved to be celebrated.
“I have been searching and looking around across the world to see any man or woman who established a university at the age of 80. I could not find anyone, and Baba Afe is that man who has done the unusual with the iconic university, hospital, and the rest.
“What we are doing is the best we can do for our Baba because honouring him at home here is the greatest we can offer him.
“Now that we have done this, we hope the Ekiti State government will honour him as well, and we will be happy to wake up on October 18 and hear that the federal government has decided to honour him with the GCON title,” Ojudu said.
