The South West Caucus of the National Assembly has celebrated the leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, as he turns 100.
The Chairman of the Caucus and Leader of the Senate, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, made this known in a statement on Sunday.
Bamidele said in the statement: “We give thanks to God Almighty for the life of Pa Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, the patriarch of Yorubaland, a dogged defender of our collective interests and one of the last surviving disciples of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as he walks with glory, grace and honour into the revered league of centenarians on Monday 11th May, 2026.
“For attaining this age with sound mind and unfailing memory undoubtedly attests to God’s boundless favour and matchless mercy in the life of our widely cherished leader, who has stayed focused on and committed to the cause of our Nation through thick and thin championing the quest for a better, greater and more prosperous Nigeria.
“Evident in his impeccable records of public service, Baba Fasoranti perfectly embodies the Yoruba values of Omoluabi – honour, integrity, leadership and selflessness. In the Second Republic for instance, he served without any dent, in the Government of Pa Adekunle Ajasin to deliver greater goods for the people of old Ondo State.
“He was also one of the loudest voices that fearlessly spoke against the reigns of dictators after the Second Republic and ceaselessly demanded the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria, an effort that culminated in the birth of the Fourth Republic on the 29th May 1999.
“Even after the restoration in 1999, Baba’s expectations for a greater, more peaceful and prosperous Nigeria have never quenched. Rather, he has been offering much-needed guidance and mentorship to different leaders at national and subnational levels. He has equally been a leading voice in the calls for an equitable, fair and just governance structure that will serve the interests of all.
“As federal lawmakers from the South-west, we are conscious of Baba’s expectations for a truly recalibrated federation, peaceful at home, potent on the continent and resilient on the global stage. Not only us, the entire National Assembly is working to recraft the present federal governance structure to be more competitive, more efficient and more productive. We are glad to report that all these aspirations have started coming to fruition while Baba is still alive.
“In Baba’s lifetime, we have successfully devolved the power to generate, distribute and transmit electricity to subnational entities. We have done the same thing in the railway sector. The burden of responsibility now rests upon leaders at the subnational levels to take initiatives that will open up their territories for both domestic and foreign investments.
“While Baba is still alive, we enacted legislations that created regional development commissions in the spirit of collective prosperity. Now at the stage of taking off fully, the commissions were created to address infrastructure deficits in each of the geo-political zones and drive real development in all parts of the federation.
“Before the end of the 10th National Assembly, we are introducing state police as one of the measures to deal decisively with security challenges that plague our federation. The initiative is part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). We hope the state police initiative will come into force in Baba’s lifetime. We have also created an efficient fiscal regime that will support the seamless implementation of all these initiatives that promise a better and greater Nigeria.
“As Baba lives on by God’s matchless grace, he will witness more pro-people initiatives that quench his thirst for an equitable, fair and just Nigeria. This is a pledge we are determined to achieve, possibly in the lifetime of Pa Fasoranti.
“Happy Centenary Anniversary, Our Patriarch.”
