Lawal Mourns NewsDirect Publisher, Ibiyemi

The Osun State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, has expressed saddness over the sudden death of a prominent Ile-Ife son and publisher of Nigerian News Direct, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi.

The demise of Ibiyemi, a Chieftain of the APC in the ancient town, was announced on Tuesday.

It was learned Ibiyemi breathed his last at Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan, Ogun State, where he was undergoing treatment for an undisclosed ailment at the age of 55.

Lawal in a statement signed by the Party's Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi in Osogbo, the state capital, noted that the news of Ibiyemi's demise met him as a shock, describing it as a huge loss to the party

He described the deceased as a consumate politician and highly committed party man whose absolute loyalty to the party was never in doubt.

Lawal hinted that it is on record that Ibiyemi used his God-given endowments to improve the fortune of the APC in the state as the story of his empowerment of the less-privileged members of the party in his constituency is in the public domain.

He added that the vacuum left behind with the sudden death of Ibiyemi would be pretty difficult to fill.

Lawal consoled the APC family in Ile-Ife over the death of the deceased pleading with them to take the demise philosophically as it's the same God who giveth that also taketh.

"I am devastated with the news of the sudden death of Dr Samuel Ibiyemi who was, until his death, a committed party chieftain in Ile-Ife in particular and Osun State in general.

"I am commiserating with the the widow and children of the late Dr Samuel Ibiyemi, on behalf of my family, the state executive officers of our party and all the members of our party in Osun State, over the death of their loved one.

"May God grant the late Ibiyemi's dependants the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and repose the soul of the deceased", Lawal prayed", the statement read in part.