Former Kwara State Governor and respected elder statesman, Senator Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, has passed away at the age of 84. Family sources confirmed his death early on Wednesday morning in Abuja.

A veteran of Nigeria's political landscape, Senator Adebayo leaves a legacy of over five decades of service in education, governance, and public policy. His tenure as governor and senator marked significant contributions to Kwara State's development, including infrastructure projects and educational reforms.

The late senator's career spanned roles in both state and federal government, where he championed policies aimed at fostering inclusive growth and institutional resilience. His passing has sparked tributes from political peers and Kwara residents, who remember him as a visionary leader and a pillar of public service.

Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, Kwara State, Adebayo served as governor of the state in 1983.

The former governor is credited with a slew of education reforms in Kwara as the state's education commissioner from 1975 to 1978.

He was minister of communications from 2003 to 2006 and was elected senator on the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) platform in 1979.

Adebayo was a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) as pro-democracy activists sought to reclaim the mandate handed to MKO Abiola in the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

In 1993, Adebayo was offered a ministerial position in the Sani Abacha junta but declined.

On May 31, 1995, a bomb exploded in Ilorin, the Kwara capital. The police arrested and grilled Adebayo and other members of NADECO over the incident.

He fled the country in 1996 for a brief exile in Canada as the junta reportedly closed in on him for a second time.