Ibarapakan Pens Emotional Tribute to Late Father on 90th Posthumous Birthday

My Father, I celebrate you today and every day even though you are no longer physically with us. If God had permitted, today would have been a day of thanksgiving, joy and celebration as family, friends, associates and the countless lives you touched gathered to celebrate your 90th birthday. Instead, we honour your memory, your extraordinary life and the noble legacy you left behind.

The early hours of August 28, 2025, like a flash of lightening, you embarked on your eternal journey, a day that remains permanently etched in my heart. Today marks 305 days, 43 weeks and good 10 months since you departed this world after a life committed to serving humanity with distinction and worshipping Almighty God with unyielding faith.

Daddy, I have not fully recovered from the pain of your passing as there is no single day I don’t think about you. Time has moved on, but the void your demise created remains impossible to fill. Every achievement reminds me of your encouragement. Every challenge reminds me of your wisdom. Every family gathering reminds me of the irreplaceable presence we have sadly lost. Although you are gone, your memory continues to live vividly in my heart and that of everyone who knew you.

Today should have been a grand celebration of your 90th birthday anniversary, where we celebrate a life of unexampled investment in God and humanity. It should have been a gathering where family members, friends, neighbours and the countless individuals whose lives you touched came together to celebrate a man whose kindness, generosity and selfless service transformed many lives. The communities and institutions you served meritoriously home and abroad would have honoured you with gratitude and admiration. However, death had a different plan. At the ripe age of 89, you answered the divine call of your Creator, leaving behind towering legacy and name that neither time nor death can erase.

Beyond fatherhood to me, you were my mentor, my adviser, my confidant, my closest friend and my greatest fan. We shared conversations that I now cherish more than ever. You listened without judgment, corrected with love, encouraged without reservation and inspired by personal example. Your life was a practical lesson rooted in humility, discipline, integrity and compassion. Those values continue to shape my decisions and remind me of the exceptional and extraordinary father I was privileged to have.

One of the greatest legacies you left behind is your honourable name. You taught us that character is more valuable than wealth and that true success is measured by the positive impact we make in the lives of others. Even after your passing, your name continues to command respect wherever it is mentioned. That is the reward of a life genuinely lived in service to God and humanity.

Your community and associates remain committed to preserving everything you stood for, I appreciate them on your behalf every day. Your children remain dedicated to continuing to uphold the values you instilled in us and strive every day to raise the standard of our family, knowing full well how much that meant to you. Although you are no longer here to guide us physically, your teachings continue to provide direction whenever we face life’s challenges. We remain determined to protect the legacy you worked so hard to build.

Every critical public office you had the privilege to serve, you used the opportunity to transform your community and its members. It is no surprise that your service as the Asiwaju of Igbo-Ora Land was one of your life’s accomplishments you cherished so much until your passing, which symbolises the rarest love you have for your place of birth. You served with sincerity, humility and commitment to the progress of your people. Leadership, to you, was never about prestige but about responsibility and sacrifice. Even after your departure, the love and support our family continues to receive from the community reflect the enormous respect they have for your years of dedicated service. They continue to speak highly of your contributions, reminding us that a life devoted to others never goes unnoticed.

Daddy, it is certain that no amount of tributes coming from far and near even on the occasion of your 90th posthumous birthday can bring you back to this world but I take solace in the fact that despite the fact that you are no longer physically present, your name refuses to fade. Your legacy continues to speak through the lives you touched, the values you upheld and the family you raised. You proved that greatness is not determined by how long one lives but by how meaningfully one serves others. Your influence continues to inspire us to become better people and to live lives worthy of the name you left behind.

As I pen this down this morning to celebrate your 90th posthumous birthday, my heart is filled with both sorrow and gratitude, sorrow because I miss you beyond words and gratitude because God blessed me with an exceptional father whose life remains a source of inspiration to not just only my immediate family and I but everyone who knew you. It is my prayer that our Father Lord continue to rest your soul and place you in a comfort zone with those who used their resources, energy and presence on the planet Earth to change the world for the better.

Though death has separated us physically, your love, your values and your legacy will forever remain alive in our hearts for generations to come. May your soul rest in perfect peace in the bosom of the Almighty until the Last Day of the Resurrection when we shall meet again.

Baba Mi, Happy 90th Posthumous Birthday to you. Indeed your memory is a blessing, your life was a special gift and your legacy of selfless service will continue to inspire everyone, including the generations yet unborn.

Till we meet to part no more, sun re o baba mi Ademola omo Jagun.

Hon. Dr. Anthony Adebayo Adepoju
Member, House of Representatives
Ibarapa Central/ North Federal Constituency
Oyo State, Nigeria.