Tribute to Kabiesi Oba Adegboyega Famodun — Rotimi Makinde

 

             By Hon Rotimi Makinde 

We met briefly in Osogbo, yet you left a legacy of wisdom that feels like a lifetime. Your years as Party Chairman, your lamentations of neglect, and your relentless hope despite betrayal taught us that true leadership is service, not self‑gain.

Your gratitude to Alhaja Kafayat Oyetola for her humanitarian heart and the rescue mission by Alhaji Bola Oyebamiji showed us how love and solidarity can move mountains. You spoke of the late Serubawon, wondering why his brother, the governor, would close his eyes and want you removed from the throne despite your closeness to the family—but for politics.

Your words still echo: _“Many take politics too far, forgetting the human being behind the office.”_ In the end, it’s not the titles or trophies, but the lives we touch that define us.

You told me personally, _“You were the best welfarist among the honourables between 2011 and 2015.”_ *Party chairmen, women leaders and all the youth leaders shared my generosity story with you as the then state chairman,* and these records, among many others, made you promise to champion my next cause if an opportunity ever arose. Now I know that chance slipped away, yet your words of advice remain etched in my soul like a Bible for my sorrowful heart.

Even after the court affirmed your rightful crown, you lamented how hate and politics overclouded the government, choosing to ignore the very judgment that restored you. The pain of that betrayal was visible, but your spirit never wavered.

When I left you, the weight of your story lingered like a drumbeat—steady, hopeful, and humbling. I felt the urgency to carry forward the torch you passed, to remember that our common opponents may differ, but our unity is the only weapon that never rusts.

You saluted my rapid maturity and cautioned me not to dwell too much on past experiences, especially the satanic attacks on my life. Your words still ring in my ears: _“Let the fire of perseverance burn brighter than the shadows of betrayal.”_

Adieu, my great chairman.

Now, the crown you no longer need, the good legacies and records can never be taken from you. Your late father was a king; you were a prince who wore the crown as a king, and a king confirmed by the law of the living, now resting with the King of the heavens.

May your soul rest in power, and may your lessons guide us to unity, focus, and gratitude.