By Kayode Ajulo
In the vast amphitheater of Yoruba history, where giants once strode like colossi and legends etched their immortal names upon the parchment of time, there still stands a rare few whose greatness does not diminish. Among these towering figures is the one whose centenary celebration I am, by divine grace and uncommon providence, privileged to honour with my deepest admiration.
At the fullness of a century, on 11th day of May, 2026, Chief Reuben Famuyide Fashoranti ascends, by divine orchestration and rare providence, to the exalted, almost scriptural summit of one hundred years, a full century not merely of breath, but of purposeful, principled and profoundly consequential living!
As the immortal Aristotle once observed, “The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” Baba Fasoranti did not merely survive the tempests of time, he contemplated, shaped and ennobled every season handed him by destiny.
Born in the quiet cradle of Uso, near Akure, when Nigeria’s story was still an unwritten epic, he embraced the classroom as his first altar. There, as teacher and principal, he planted seeds of discipline, knowledge and moral courage in fertile young minds, knowing, as Chief Obafemi Awolowo taught, that education is the passport to freedom.
He drank deeply from the inexhaustible fountain of Awo’s philosophy: Education. Integrity. Selfless Service. These became the granite pillars upon which his life was built. Called to higher service, he served meritoriously as Finance Commissioner in the disciplined, corruption-free government of the late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin; bringing prudence and honour to public office in an age that often rewarded the opposite.
Through the shifting sands of Nigerian politics, he remained the steady voice in Afenifere, not the loudest, but the most enduring; not the most flamboyant, but the most unshakable.
Even in advanced years, his convictions did not dim. He lent his support to Asiwanu Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to become the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, affirming his abiding faith in progressive leadership and democratic continuity.
Within the sacred hush of St. David’s Cathedral, Ijomu, Akure, that hallowed altar where my late father, S. A. O. Ajulo of CSS Bookshop fame, once worshipped and served, there, in quiet reverence, the true depth of this great man was unveiled to me.
Even in the sanctuary’s consecrated hush, Baba Fashoranti’s presence summoned reverence. Though the tempests of Yoruba politics once raged, where my humble self, with the late, fiery Yinka Odumakin and other ardent sons of the soil, kindled the Afenifere Renewal Group to revive the fading flame of progressive ideals, Baba, in his boundless grace, never beheld me as a prodigal, but always as a son within the fold.
Whenever our paths crossed mostly in Church, the great patriarch would with a gentle bearing, pull me to his side, like a father drawing a beloved son. With genuine warmth, he would inquire about my law practice, Abuja, my battles in the trenches of justice, and sundry matters of life. Never, not once, did he ask why we pulled away from the mainstream.
Such is the grace of true leadership: it does not bruise with recrimination; it heals with magnanimity.
When eventually Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the then Governor of Ondo State, in his characteristic wisdom, called for the return of the “prodigals” to the main fold, we gladly complied. And true to his noble character, Baba received us all not with cold tolerance, but with open arms, as if we had never left. In that singular act, he taught us that Afenifere is not just an organisation, but a family bound by higher ideals; a house where dissent is allowed but love and reconciliation ultimately prevail.
And when I was appointed as Chief Law Officer of Ondo State by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Baba’s indelible, unwavering counsel instantly became my compass, his residence, my sanctuary.
Baba’s grace flowed far beyond the frontiers of Yorubaland, finding kinship with kindred spirits with the Arewas, Ndigbos, and other tribes across Nigeria, with his friend, the late Edwin Kiagbodo Clark of the Niger Delta, and within circles such as Afenifere and the wider fellowship of southern and Middle Belt patriots.
His cordial bond with Chief Clark endures as a luminous emblem of pan-Nigerian statesmanship, a testament that true elders are not keepers of narrow enclosures, but master builders of bridges, spanning rivers of difference and uniting shores once thought apart.
At 100, Baba stands as a living proverb, a philosophical oak tree whose roots drink from the ancient wisdom of our ancestors and whose branches shelter generations yet unborn. He has seen empires rise and fall, political seasons come and go, yet his commitment to truth, equity and the Yoruba cause has never wavered.
At this august threshold of one hundred years, I take the liberty, on the occasion of these celebrations, to declare that Baba Fasoranti, stands as the last sentinel of the golden host of Obafemi Awolowo.
For Awolowo proclaimed education as the pathway to liberty, may this celebration kindle the minds of the young and lift their aspirations on high.
For Awo taught that leadership is a sacred moral trust, may it enshrine character above the fleeting applause of acclaim.
And for Awolowo spent his lifetime preaching welfare as a solemn duty, may our praises be transmuted into living acts of service, enduring long after the moment of celebration.
Thus, the truest tribute for Baba Fasoranti is not my words, but in Baba’s works: a legacy that enlightens, ennobles, unites and serves.
Baba, as you step gracefully into this exalted season of centenary glory, a rare and sacred milestone bathed in divine honour, may the Almighty God you have served with unwavering devotion, the very God to whom your heart sings in sweet melody of;
Olorun t’odun to kọja,
Iret’ eyi ti n bọ;
Ib’ isadi wa ni iji,
At’ ile wa lailai.
May the God of the years that have passed, become your unfailing help, your impenetrable shield and your eternal hope in the seasons yet to come.
He who has faithfully carried you through every storm, every trial, and every triumph shall never leave you, nor forsake you. Even now, may His mighty hand rest upon you with fresh oil and may the ancestors, in their eternal benevolence, grant you uncommon strength, abiding peace and an unfading vitality that defies time itself.
May your days be crowned with honour, your life a shining testament and your legacy an everlasting blessing to our people and generations unborn.
Àṣẹ. Amen. Amin.
You are not just our Leader, you are our living heritage. I salute you. I honour you. I love you.
Happy 100th Birthday, Baba!
Dr. Ajulo, OON, SAN, Bamofin (traditionally acclaimed law expert) of Akure Kingdom, is Attorney General of Ondo State and Commissions for Justice.