A former Governor of the old Ondo State, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, is dead.
He died at the age of 80 after a brief illness.
Olumilua, is from Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State.
He was the governor of the old Ondo State between 1991 and 1993.
As governor, he was elected on the platform of the Social Democracy Party (SDP).
The first son of the deceased, Muyiwa, who is the current Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation in Ekiti State, confirmed the death of the elder statesman.
He said his father died around 3am on Thursday.
“Yes, Baba died today (Thursday) around 3am.
“We thank God that he lived a good and worthy life and we are proud of his personality and achievements while alive.”
His remains have since been transported to the morgue at Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital in Ado Ekiti.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Funminiyi Afuye, has described the deceased as an outstanding elder statesman and a titan.
In a tribute signed by the Special Adviser on Media to the Speaker, Akogun Tai Oguntayo, and made available to newsmen, Afuye described the late Ikere-Ekiti born politician as a worthy ambassador of Ekiti in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
The Speaker, who is also an indigene of Ikere, extolled the good virtues of the late politician, saying; “it’s the footprints left behind by Baba that we are following and it is a thing of joy that he left behind a good legacy.”