Ekiti Governor, people mourn, as the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Afuye, dies 3 days to his daughter's wedding.

By Charles Segun Adegbite

The new governor of Ekiti State, Mr Abiodun Oyebanji and the entire people of the Land of Honour have been thrown into sorrowful mood, following the sudden death of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Funminiyi Afuye, three days to his daughter's wedding.

Afuye, a lawyer, ex-banker, teacher,  and Chief lawmaker of the state, was a two term member of the state assembly, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, and later Commissioner for Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs during Dr Kayode Fayemi's first term as the governor of the state.

  The late Speaker died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday at the age of 66. He was said to have developed the heart attack on Wednesday morning and was quickly driven to Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, EKSUTH, Ado-Ekiti for medical intervention. But he couldn't survive the heart failure.

  His death was the least expected news  for the governor, who was just sworn in last Sunday and was yet to form his cabinet fully.

Afuye was with the governor, party chieftains and government officials, on Tuesday, talking jovially as they held interdenominational prayers for Oyebanji, to usher in his government.

 The late Speaker was full of life at the Sunday October 16 inauguration ceremony of the new governor, as he was relating with everyone in his usual jovial manner. 

The ceremony that was televised live enabled many of his All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftains from within and outside the State, top government functionaries, Ekiti indigenes from outside the state, who came for the inauguration relate with him, without knowing that would be their last moment together.

His bereaved families were not only being enmeshed in mourning mood over his death, but the coming wedding of his daughter that was scheduled for this Saturday, would also have to be postponed.