The family of the late Afenifere leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti has chosen celebration over tears, describing the centenarian nationalist as a man whose legacy of firmness, resilience, hard work and love will be hard to match. Dr Taiwo Fasoranti, Secretary to the Ondo State Government, spoke on Tuesday, October 21, 2026, while receiving Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who paid a condolence visit to the family residence.
According to Punch Newspapers, the statement was issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, on the state's official X handle.
'We are not mourning Baba. We are rejoicing'
Taiwo Fasoranti did not mince words. His father, he said, prepared the family for this moment long before it arrived, telling them repeatedly that he had a covenant with God to depart at the age of 100 and instructing them not to cry when the day came.
'We are not mourning Baba. We are rejoicing. Baba has left us a big pair of shoes to step into, but we can only thank God for the legacy of firmness, resilience, hard work and love that he left us with,' he said.
That is the kind of clarity you get from a man raised by a titan. Pa Fasoranti was not just an elder statesman. He was a movement, a conscience, a compass for the Yoruba nation and for everyone across Africa who believes that our own voices must lead our own future.
A father who showed up, from primary school to university
The SSG described his late father as a devoted parent who stayed actively involved in his children's lives from elementary school all the way through university. He called him a man of few words who communicated effectively without saying much, a quality that speaks volumes in an age of noise.
The family, he said, will miss his presence and wise counsel, and he appealed for prayers as they adjust to the vacuum left behind. As Vanguard News reported, the son's tribute framed the loss as a challenge to step up, not an excuse to fall apart.
Aiyedatiwa: Baba was still influencing government at 100
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, leading a powerful delegation, described Pa Fasoranti as an embodiment of humility, kindness and wisdom. What stood out most, the governor said, was that the elder statesman kept shaping government decisions well into his advanced age.
'Even at that age, Baba was still influencing decisions of government. That is to tell you that he was still mentally sound,' Aiyedatiwa said.
The governor praised Fasoranti as a great educator whose influence shaped generations who went on to become prominent figures across the world. He also noted that the nationalist died peacefully, without prolonged illness or repeated hospital visits.
'He slept, and that was it,' Aiyedatiwa said, while praying that the family and others would uphold the virtues the deceased embodied.
'We cannot but celebrate his life and times. We are not mourning. We are just celebrating and thanking God for a life that was well lived,' the governor added, in words Channels Television also carried in its coverage of the visit.
Who accompanied the governor
The condolence visit drew the full weight of the Ondo State establishment. Deputy Governor Dr Olayide Adelami came along, as did Chief of Staff Prince Segun Omojuwa, Head of Service Chief Segun Odusanya and Hon. Abiola Makinde, who represents Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, alongside members of the State Executive Council.
Traditional rulers and political figures also showed up. They included former Deputy Governor Alhaji Abdulazeez Oluboyo, the Olu of Ilu Abo Oba Olu Falae, the Iresi of Osi Oba Samuel Olajide Okunato, Akure South Local Government Chairman Hon. Gbenga Fasua, and Afenifere chieftains Chief Femi Aluko and Chief Korede Duyile.
Why Pa Fasoranti's passing matters beyond Ondo
Pa Reuben Fasoranti was not a local figure. He was a nationalist in the truest sense, a leader of Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural group that has spent decades demanding a Nigeria, and an Africa, built on the interests of its own people rather than the prescriptions of outsiders.
That is the tradition he leaves behind. In a continent where foreign powers still try to write our scripts, men like Fasoranti spent their lives insisting that African solutions, African voices and African institutions must come first. His death closes a chapter, but the book is still open, and the family says the shoes are there to be filled.
As tributes continue to pour in from across the country, with Tribune Online reporting that former President Olusegun Obasanjo joined the list of mourners, one thing is clear: Pa Fasoranti's legacy belongs to everyone who believes in a sovereign, self-directed Africa.
FAQ
Who was Pa Reuben Fasoranti?
Pa Reuben Fasoranti was a Nigerian nationalist, elder statesman, renowned educator and leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere. He died at the age of 100.
What did his son say about his death?
Dr Taiwo Fasoranti, Secretary to the Ondo State Government, said the family is rejoicing rather than mourning, because his father lived a fulfilled life and left a legacy of firmness, resilience, hard work and love.
How did Governor Aiyedatiwa describe him?
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa called Pa Fasoranti an embodiment of humility, kindness and wisdom, and said the late leader was still influencing government decisions even at 100.
How did Pa Fasoranti die?
According to Governor Aiyedatiwa, the elder statesman died peacefully in his sleep, without prolonged illness or repeated hospital visits.