Oyo State Government Directs Flag to Fly at Half-Mast in Honor of Late Michael Koleoso

The Oyo State Government, on Tuesday, directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast in the state to mourn a former Secretary to the State Government, Michael Koleoso, who died on Monday at the age of 86.

Koleoso was the SSG during the late Governor Lamidi Adesina’s administration between 1999 and 2023. He was also the National Chairman of the defunct Alliance for Democracy.

Governor Seyi Makinde described his death as “The end of a glorious era.”

This was contained in a statement in Ibadan, the state capital, on Tuesday.

“I received the news of the death of Baba Michael Koleoso, the Babalaje of Saki, with shock and sadness.

“Oyo State and Nigeria have lost a great patriot and selfless leader, one of the last men standing in the batch of leaders who gave their all to make Nigeria a better place.

“People who know me know that I had a special bond with Babalaje; I held him as a father and had the utmost regard for him, as he was a courageous and upright leader who spoke truth to power.

“We’ve relied on his guidance and wealth of experience in guiding our great state to greatness, and Babalaje did love this state till his dying days.

“I express my condolences to the Koleoso family of Saki, his political family spread across the state and Nigeria as well as the people of Saki and Oyo State.

“It is the end of a glorious era and we can only pray to God to grant repose to the soul of our Baba,” the statement read.

Responding, the first daughter of the deceased, Yemisi Baiki, thanked the acting governor for his show of love and care for their father during his lifetime.

Former deputy governor and leader of All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Iyiola Oladokun, described Koleoso’s death as a blow to the political class in Nigeria.