Elder statesman, pro-democracy icon, and former governor of Kwara State, Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, has died at the age of 84.

Family sources confirmed that the veteran politician passed away in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja, bringing an end to a storied life of public service and unwavering advocacy for democracy in Nigeria.

Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, present-day Kwara State, Adebayo rose to national prominence as a courageous voice during Nigeria’s turbulent transition to civilian rule. He was a committed member of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and was elected senator in 1979 during the Second Republic.

In 1983, he was elected governor of Kwara State but served only briefly before the military coup of December that year truncated the civilian administration.

Adebayo was also a notable figure in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the group of political leaders and activists that led the resistance against military rule in the 1990s and campaigned for the actualization of the June 12, 1993 presidential mandate of the late Chief MKO Abiola.

In a show of his principles, Adebayo rejected an offer to serve in General Sani Abacha’s military government in 1993, a decision that later led to his arrest following a bomb blast in 1995. He subsequently fled into exile in Canada in 1996.

Returning to public life after Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, Adebayo was appointed Minister of Communications under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 2003 to 2006, where he helped initiate reforms in the telecommunications sector.

Before his ascent to national politics, he served as Kwara State Commissioner for Education between 1975 and 1978, where he was lauded for policy initiatives that strengthened the state’s education system.

Adebayo's passing marks the end of an era in Nigeria’s political evolution. He is remembered not just for his public service, but also for his unyielding commitment to justice, democracy, and good governance.

Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in the coming days.