SULTAN AT 20: Bola Ajibola, Kola Animasaun, My Father Among Distinguished Personalities Missing in Sokoto Today

Prince Bola Ajibola , Alhaji Kola Animasaun and my father, Alhaji Kasumu Yesufu Adefaka, would have joined the celebration of Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar’s two decades on the throne today, but death had other plans

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

They were not merely people I knew or admired. Each occupied a special place in my life, and each had a relationship with the Sultanate, or with the values of faith, knowledge, service and humanity that the Sultan represents, which makes their absence particularly significant to me.

As Sokoto celebrates the 20th Coronation Anniversary of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the 20th Sultan of Sokoto, there are distinguished personalities whose absence makes the historic occasion deeply emotional for some of those who have shared in the Sultan’s journey over the years.

Among them are three men whose places in my life remain indelible: Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN; Alhaji Kola Animasaun, the respected veteran journalist and former Chairman of the Editorial Board of Vanguard Newspapers; and my biological father, Alhaji Kasumu Yesufu Adefaka, the Galadima of Akure Land.

They were not merely people I knew or admired. Each occupied a special place in my life, and each had a relationship with the Sultanate, or with the values of faith, knowledge, service and humanity that the Sultan represents, which makes their absence particularly significant to me.

But for the inevitable hand of death, these three father figures would have been among the personalities joining other eminent Nigerians and well-wishers in Sokoto today November 2, 2026 to celebrate the two decades of Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar’s reign.

Their absence is a painful reminder that while institutions endure and milestones are celebrated, the individuals who contribute to our personal histories and collective experiences do not remain with us forever.

As I reflect on this landmark anniversary, my thoughts turn to these three men, their respective contributions to my life and the memories that death has not been able to erase.

PRINCE BOLA AJIBOLA: THE LEGAL LUMINARY WHO CHAMPIONED ISLAMIC EDUCATION

Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN, was a towering figure in Nigeria’s legal profession and a man whose contributions to education and the Muslim community remain worthy of remembrance.

A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as well as a former judge of the International Court of Justice, Ajibola combined professional distinction with a commitment to educational development and the advancement of Islamic values.

He was the pioneer Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), an organisation established to provide a common platform for Muslims in the region.

He was also the founder and proprietor of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, an institution established to advance academic excellence and moral development.

It is particularly significant to this anniversary that Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar is a recipient of a doctoral degree from Crescent University.

That connection gives the university and its founder an additional place in the story of the Sultan’s journey, linking the celebration of a traditional institution’s milestone with the contribution of an educationist who invested in the development of minds and character.

Ajibola represented a generation of Nigerians who understood that leadership was not confined to occupying public office or holding a traditional title. It also involved building institutions, creating opportunities and leaving behind structures capable of serving generations yet unborn.

For me, however, beyond his public accomplishments and national standing, Prince Bola Ajibola was a father figure.

His absence from Sokoto is therefore not simply the absence of another eminent personality at a major national gathering. It is the absence of someone whose presence would have meant a great deal to me personally.

I can only imagine the satisfaction he might have derived from witnessing this important milestone in the reign of a Sultan who received a doctoral degree from the university he founded.

Sadly, the passage of time has placed that possibility beyond our reach.

KOLA ANIMASAUN: A BOND BUILT ON KNOWLEDGE AND ISLAM

Alhaji Kola Animasaun, the respected journalist and former Chairman of the Editorial Board of Vanguard Newspapers, occupies another special place in my reflections on the Sultan’s 20th Coronation Anniversary.

His relationship with Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar was rooted in knowledge, Islam and mutual respect.

Animasaun belonged to a generation of journalists who understood the importance of intellectual engagement, public discourse and the responsibility of the media in society.

His connection with the Sultan was not merely a matter of official encounters. It reflected a bond between men whose interests extended beyond their immediate professional and institutional responsibilities.

One experience in particular remains vivid in my memory.

I was with the Sultan on May 30, 2019, when Alhaji Animasaun passed away. The date corresponded to the 27th day of Ramadan in 1440 AH.

A special council session was held in his honour inside the Council Chamber of the Sultan’s Palace in Sokoto.

Throughout the session, I observed the Sultan’s visible grief over the death of the veteran journalist.

At intervals, he used his handkerchief around his face, a gesture that conveyed the depth of his emotional response to the loss.

For me, witnessing that moment offered a personal insight into the human side of the Sultan: a man whose traditional position and national responsibilities do not diminish his capacity to feel the pain of losing someone he values.

The atmosphere of that gathering conveyed something important about their relationship. It was a reminder that genuine bonds are not measured solely by public appearances, titles or ceremonial exchanges, but also by the emotions that accompany the loss of someone whose presence has mattered.

Animasaun’s death deprived the journalism profession of a respected voice and left a void among those who knew him.

His absence from this anniversary is particularly poignant because he would have had his own memories of the Sultan and could have brought his distinctive perspective to the celebration.

As a journalist, I cannot help reflecting on the significance of his absence at an occasion that brings together traditional leadership, public service, religion and national history.

The man who spent much of his life observing, interpreting and documenting public affairs is himself now remembered through the memories he left behind.

ALHAJI KASUMU YESUFU ADEFAKA: A FATHER’S PRAYERS AND A SULTAN’S KINDNESS

Of the three personalities, my biological father, Alhaji Kasumu Yesufu Adefaka, holds a place that words can scarcely describe.

He was the Galadima of Akure Land and a former banker who served at Trust Bank and Cooperative Bank.

He had lived beyond a century, carrying with him the experiences, wisdom and memories of a long life.

For all his years, he remained my father, and the concern he received from Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar during a period of ill health is a memory I continue to cherish.

When my father was with us in Lagos for medical attention, the Sultan would sometimes telephone me and ask me to hand the phone to him.

He would speak with my ailing father and pray for his quick recovery.

These were moments that meant a great deal to my father.

For an elderly man receiving medical attention, the knowledge that someone in such a distinguished position remembered him, called to check on him and offered prayers for his recovery was a source of comfort and appreciation.

My father valued those gestures.

For me, they also revealed a dimension of Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar’s leadership that cannot be fully captured by discussions of his throne, traditional authority or public engagements.

They showed the importance he attached to personal relationships, concern for the elderly and the human connections that endure beyond official duties.

A telephone call may appear ordinary to some people, but its significance depends on who makes it, the circumstances in which it is made and the heart it reaches.

In my father’s case, those calls carried the reassurance that he had not been forgotten.

They were expressions of concern that transcended public position and social standing.

As I write about the Sultan’s 20th Coronation Anniversary, I remember those moments with gratitude. They are among the personal experiences that have shaped my appreciation of the Sultan’s humanity.

My father is no longer here to witness the anniversary or to join the gathering of well-wishers in Sokoto.

But I believe he would have welcomed the opportunity to celebrate the Sultan’s two decades on the throne, particularly in view of the personal kindness he received from him.

That he cannot be present is a loss I feel both as a son and as someone who witnessed the warmth of their interactions.

THE HUMAN SIDE OF A ROYAL MILESTONE

Coronation anniversaries are important occasions in the life of a traditional institution.

They provide opportunities to reflect on the reign of a monarch, the responsibilities of leadership, the preservation of heritage and the relationship between a traditional ruler and the people he serves.

The 20th anniversary of Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar’s coronation is particularly significant because it marks two decades of his stewardship as the 20th Sultan of Sokoto.

Yet, beyond the ceremonies, tributes, dignitaries and celebrations, the occasion also invites personal reflections on the people who helped shape our lives and the relationships that give public milestones their deeper meaning.

For me, the absence of Prince Bola Ajibola, Alhaji Kola Animasaun and Alhaji Kasumu Yesufu Adefaka brings that reality into sharp focus.

They came from different professional and personal backgrounds. Ajibola was a legal luminary and educationist whose contributions extended into international jurisprudence and Muslim affairs. Animasaun was an accomplished journalist whose career was devoted to public communication and editorial responsibility. My father was a respected elder and banker whose life spanned more than a century.

What connects them in this reflection is the place each occupied in my life and the fact that none can be physically present to share in this historic celebration.

Their stories also remind us that the people who matter most to us are not always those whose names dominate public ceremonies. Sometimes, they are the people whose private acts of kindness, counsel, friendship and support remain with us long after they are gone.

In remembering them, I also remember the Sultan’s interactions with them and the relationships that made their presence meaningful.

The anniversary is therefore not only a celebration of the monarch’s reign. It is also an occasion for me to acknowledge the people whose lives intersected with mine and whose memories remain part of my personal history.

WHEN THE WISHES OF ALLAH PREVAIL

There is a limit to what human beings can plan, anticipate or accomplish. We make arrangements, nurture hopes and look forward to sharing important moments with those we love. But life reminds us that not every wish will be fulfilled.

Had death not intervened, I believe these three father figures would have been in Sokoto for this august occasion, celebrating the Sultan’s 20th Coronation Anniversary.

That would have been my wish, and I believe their presence would have added another layer of personal meaning to the celebration.

But the will of Allah has prevailed over our wishes.

For Muslims, the understanding that every soul must taste death is central to our acceptance of life’s uncertainties. It does not eliminate grief, but it offers a spiritual foundation upon which we can remember the departed with gratitude, pray for them and entrust their ultimate fate to the mercy of their Creator.

I therefore remember Prince Bola Ajibola, Alhaji Kola Animasaun and my father, Alhaji Kasumu Yesufu Adefaka, with profound affection and gratitude.

I remember what they represented, what they meant to me and the memories they left behind.

Their absence from Sokoto cannot diminish their place in my life.

And while they cannot witness the Sultan’s anniversary celebration in person, their memories accompany me as I reflect on this important milestone.

A PRAYER FOR THE DEPARTED, A CELEBRATION OF THE LIVING

As His Eminence, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, marks 20 years on the throne of his forebears, I celebrate his milestone with gratitude to Almighty Allah for the privilege of witnessing this historic period.

I also acknowledge the lives of those who would have shared in the occasion but have answered the inevitable call of their Creator.

May Almighty Allah forgive the shortcomings of Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN; Alhaji Kola Animasaun; and my beloved father, Alhaji Kasumu Yesufu Adefaka.

May Allah illuminate their graves, grant them peace in the hereafter and admit them into Al-Jannatul Firdaus, the highest abode in Paradise.

May He reward their good deeds, accept their acts of service and grant their families and loved ones the strength to continue to cherish their memories.

To Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, I pray that Almighty Allah grants him continued wisdom, sound health, strength and guidance as he carries the responsibilities of his exalted office.

May the years ahead bring peace, unity and progress to the Sultanate, the Muslim Ummah and Nigeria as a whole. Amiin.

Adefaka, CEO/Editor-in-Chief of Defender Media Limited publishers of The DEFENDER Newspaper, is Coordinator of the Media Team of the Sultan of Sokoto.