OPC Seeks Recognition, Support For Family Of Bola Ige

Twenty-four (24) years after the assassination of a former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, national leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Comrade Adesina Akinpelu, has renewed calls for official recognition and support for the family of the slain statesman.

Akinpelu, in a statement to commemorate the 24th anniversary of Ige’s death, described the continued neglect of the family as a moral failure of the Nigerian state.

He argued that if justice could not be secured after such a long period, the Federal Government owed the family institutional recognition and political inclusion.

The OPC leader urged President Bola Tinubu to personally visit the residence and gravesite of Ige, who was also a former governor of Old Oyo State in Esa-Oke, Osun State, as a mark of respect for one of Nigeria’s leading figures of progressive political tradition.

“President Tinubu is a political protégé of Chief Bola Ige. He should not allow the family of his mentor to fade into political obscurity, especially when those who killed him are still walking free,” Akinpelu said.

Ige was murdered on December 23, 2001, at his Bodija residence in Ibadan, Oyo State, by assailants who have never been identified or prosecuted.

His killing remains one of Nigeria’s most unresolved and symbolic political assassinations, even as successive governments have failed to deliver justice more than two decades later.

Beyond the federal government, the OPC national leader called on the Oyo State government to formally honour Ige during the planned Oyo at 50 celebrations scheduled for February 2026.

He appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde and the chairman of the anniversary planning committee, Hon. Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, to ensure that Ige’s contributions to the state and the nation were prominently acknowledged.

“We cannot continue to pay lip service to the memory of our fallen heroes. The Ige family has suffered enough, and it is time for justice to be served, or at least for the nation to show gratitude”, he said.

He recalled that Ige played a critical role in shaping the political development of Oyo State, Yorubaland, and Nigeria as a whole, particularly during the struggle against military dictatorship.

According to the OPC leader, Ige’s unwavering commitment to democracy, rule of law, and progressive politics earned him a place among Nigeria’s most principled leaders.

“During the darkest days of military rule, Chief Bola Ige stood firm for democracy. His sacrifices must not be forgotten, and he should not be allowed to die in vain,” Akinpelu added.