Date: 2020-04-28

One of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State's commissioners designate, Mr Tunji Abel, is dead.

He died on Friday in a private hospital in Ilorin, the state capital.

Sources in the state branch of the All Progressives Congress described late Abel, who was in his early 50s, as one of the close allies of the governor.

Abdulrazaq in his reaction by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, described his death as one death too many.

Ajakaye, who spoke on the telephone, said, "That was one death too many. We are still shocked at the untimely death of Tunji Abel who was always full of life. He was a great party man, a man of the people, and a die-hard believer in the great works of the governor.

"He was recently nominated to contribute his own quota to the development of our dear state but it has pleased our Creator to recall him at this time."

Sources said that Abel reportedly died from complications suspected to be from high blood pressure.

The late politician was said to have been treating high blood pressure for some years until he had complications on Friday and he was rushed to the private hospital where he died later in the evening.

He was earlier taken to a popular hospital in the Zango area before he was rushed to the health facility where he gave up the ghost.

It was reliably gathered that the hospital staff were reluctant to admit the late politician for treatment because of their poor knowledge of his travel and medical history following a similar incident in the state about a month earlier

Recall that the issue of concealed information about the travel history of a patient, the late Muideen Obanimomo, who died at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital over alleged Covid-19 virus complications, has made travel history of patients a big deal in the state.

The Chief Press Secretary said Joel was nominated as Commissioner 1 in the Kwara State Local Government Service Commission and would have been screened by the House of Assembly for confirmation but for the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.

Joel hailed from Ayekoja in the Ifelodun LGA of Kwara State.

He was one of the condidates considered for the position of the deputy governor in the APC during the 2019 governorship election in the state.

He was buried in his hometown, Ayekoja, on Sunday.