Barely 24hours after Oyo South lawmaker, Sen. Sarafadeen Alli’s motion on the need to name a national project after the Olubadan Of Ibadanland, Late Oba Lekan Balogun the Senate has adopted a motion to rename one of its Committee rooms after the late Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Lekan Balogun on Wednesday.
The motion, which was sponsored by Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Ali, disclosed that the late Oba served as Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District from 1999 to 2003.
Senator Ali in his motion, informed the Senate that the late Olubadan was a leader par excellence, community developer and service-driven politician which culminated in his election as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2003.
“The late Olubadan was a man of peace and custodian of the culture and values of the Yoruba people.”, he added.
The two other Senators from Oyo State, Yinus Akintunde representing Oyo Central and Addulfai Buhari, North, also contributed to the debate on the motion by informing the Senate on how the late Monarch impacted positively, the lives of those who came across him while alive.
Senator Buhari said the book written by the late monarch, titled: “Arrogance of Power”, given to him in 2003 when he won election into the House of Representatives, has helped him a lot, not to get disconnected from people who elected him into the National Assembly over the years.
The Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, representing Benue South Senatorial District, also eulogized the virtues of the late monarch in his contribution to the motion.
The Senate accordingly after debates on the motion, adopted all the prayers sought as resolutions, one of which was to immortalize the late monarch by naming one of the Senate committee rooms after him.
It also accordingly held a minute of silence in honour of the late Olubadan.
In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, urged Senator Abdulfatai Buhari to make available copies of “Arrogance of Power”, authored by the deceased, to all Senators in guiding them aright at all times.
Recall, the late Olubadan joined his ancestors on Thursday, March 14, 2,023 at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan at age 81 after a brief illness, two years after ascending the throne on March 11, 2022.