A Spectacular Goodbye: Youngest House of Representatives Member, Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye, Buries Grandfather in Style

The member representing Idanre/Ifedore federal constituency of Ondo State, Hon. Tajudeen Adeyemi Adefisoye, can no longer lavish all the pleasures of the world upon his loving grandfather. This is because the latter has sadly ascended to the congregation of the immortals. With hearts still beating with the love he instilled and a mind full of his timeless teachings, Adefisoye (otherwise known as Small Alhaji) can only do the next best thing: to send Baba off in grand style.

Anyone who thought that there was a scarcity of stardust in most of the events that took place last Friday would find that the who’s who in Nigeria’s political space were concentrated in one place—the final burial celebration of Adefisoye’s grandfather, Chief Obajulaye Johnson Akinwale-Akinte. The event held at Idanre, Ondo, had scores of top politicians and entertainers that came to pay their respects to the memory of a respected colleague’s grandfather.

Being a visionary Nigerian politician, businessman, and philanthropist, Founder and President of Small Alhaji Youth Foundation (an NGO aimed at Youth development in Ondo), Adefisoye did not allow such an event to become a metaphor for dullness. He certainly would not want his grandfather to scold him from the afterlife. Hence, he went the extra mile to organize a carnival-like funeral. The venue was decorated with accoutrements that wouldn’t look out of place at a Royal banquet.

Classic and continental dishes exchanged hands and disappeared into stomachs. Wines and imported bottles of Champagnes flowed down throats in an unending stream like tributaries into River Niger. The musical entertainment kept everyone on their toes, singing and swaying to the beats. As the host, Adefisoye was the picture of courtesy as he went around making sure everyone was having a good time.

Truly, even as he battles to live through the pain of losing a pillar of support, Adefisoye remains a formidable character for a lot of people who have taken him as a mentor and role model.