Senate urges FG to rename Ibadan airport after Abiola Ajimobi

The Senate on Tuesday called for the renaming of the Ibadan Airport after the late former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi.

The Senate has asked the Federal Government to rename the Ibadan Airport after the late former governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Ajimobi died on June 25, of COVID-19 complications.

At the Senate plenary on Tuesday, July 7, Senator Abdulfatahi Buhari moved the motion proposing the renaming of the airport after Ajimobi and it was seconded by Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Senator Buhari had eulogized the late Ajimobi, who was a member of the 5th Senate from 2003 to 2007.

The upper chamber also resolved to send a delegation to commiserate with the family of the late senator, the Oyo State Government and the people of Oyo.

Moving the motion, Mr Abdulfatai said that in 2003, Mr Ajimobi became a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“He was a principal officer in the Senate, serving as the Deputy Minority Leader.

“He contested the governorship election under the umbrella of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2007 but lost.

“He contested again in 2011 under the All Progressives Congress (APC) ( he was elected under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria – Editor) and was elected in a keenly contested election.

“As the incumbent, he contested for a second term in an election that took place on April 11, 2015, under the APC against two of his predecessors in office.

“In the event of his re-election into office as the governor, he achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first person to occupy the highest seat twice,” he said.

Supporting the motion, Ibikunle Amosun (APC-Ogun) said Mr Ajimobi was a jovial and hardworking person.

The upper chamber has, however, passed for first reading five bills.

The bills included the National Institute for Brackish Water Fisheries Research Ngo-Adoni bill sponsored by Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi; National Primary Health Development Agency bill, sponsored by Sen. Degi-Eremienyo Biobarakuma; Federal University, Dutsin-Ma bill, sponsored by Babba Kaita.

Others were Institute of Information and Communication Technology Uga bill, sponsored by Ifeanyi Uba and Institute of Risk and Disaster Management bill sponsored by Umar Suleiman.