Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has revealed that the late Ambassador Ibironke Olufunke Adefope, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to Zambia, was instrumental in resolving the protracted ownership dispute over Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, ultimately securing sole ownership for Oyo State.
The governor made this disclosure on Friday during a home-going service held in honour of the late diplomat at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo, Ibadan. He described Ambassador Adefope as a rare, bold, and courageous woman who played a pivotal behind-the-scenes role in state affairs and his personal political journey.
“She was my personal tactician,” Makinde said in his emotional tribute. “When I faced the knotty issue of reclaiming LAUTECH for Oyo State, she advised that we approach it with both military firmness and diplomatic engagement. It was her idea to involve a respected Army General in the negotiation team.”
Makinde explained that based on Adefope’s suggestion, he assembled a team that included retired General Oladayo Popoola and Adefope herself to engage the Osun State representatives. The strategy, which blended assertiveness and diplomacy, eventually led to a peaceful resolution and Oyo’s exclusive ownership of the institution.
“When the Osun team saw General Popoola, they hesitated,” Makinde recounted. “‘If you see a soldier, it means we would fight,’ the General joked. But Mama, in her usual diplomatic way, calmed the tension and steered the talks toward peaceful negotiation. That tactic worked.”
Makinde, who became visibly emotional during the service, described the loss of Adefope as a personal and painful one. “She stood with me after I failed in my first attempt to become governor in 2015—even when I didn’t win my local government,” he said. “For more than a decade, she was always there — offering advice, even if it was sometimes tough love.”
He recalled one such moment after he publicly criticized School Governing Councils on radio. “She was boiling,” he said. “She told me I needed training on public speaking because she herself was a member of one of those councils and had invested her personal funds in the school.”
Despite his grief, the governor expressed gratitude for Adefope’s impactful life and vowed to honour her memory by fulfilling key commitments to the church and the community. He announced a donation of a multimedia system and LED screen to St. Peter’s Cathedral, promising delivery within four weeks. He also pledged to resolve the church’s electricity challenges by extending power from the government’s Independent Power Plant (IPP) to the church premises before year-end.
Top government officials joined the governor in paying their final respects, including Deputy Governor Barr. Bayo Lawal, former Deputy Governor and PDP South Deputy National Chairman Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, Speaker of the Oyo House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, Chief Judge of Oyo State Justice Iyabo Yerima, and Secretary to the State Government Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, among others.
