Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Saturday became a reunion ground of some sorts for political gladiators in the state when the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, held the 21-day Fidau prayer for his late mother, Alhaja Sidikatu Basiru.
Recall that the matriarch fondly called Iya Suru died at the age of 96 after a brief illness. She is survived by Senator Basiru and his elder brother, Ismail.
The prayer session, held at Fakunle/Unity School in Osogbo, attracted Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, and the Osun APC governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO).
Also in attendance were the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun; former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande; Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; immediate past JAMB Governing Board Chairman, Prof. Olu Aina; Oyo State APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli; members of Governor Adeleke’s cabinet, federal lawmakers, traditional rulers, Islamic clerics and APC leaders from across the country.
The governors of Delta, Lagos, Plateau and Kogi states were represented at the event.
A major highlight of the gathering was a rare display of political goodwill as Governor Adeleke and APC governorship candidate Oyebamiji warmly embraced and exchanged pleasantries despite belonging to rival political parties ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election.
Delivering the sermon, the Mufasir of Osogbo, Sheikh Abdulateef Abajaoro, reminded the congregation of the inevitability of death and urged them to live righteous lives.
He said wealth, power, influence and worldly positions would all come to an end, adding that only three deeds continue to benefit a person after death: beneficial knowledge imparted to others, charity from which people continue to benefit, and righteous children who pray for the deceased.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Basiru’s elder brother, Ismail, said they had accepted their mother’s passing as the will of Allah, noting that her legacy would continue through the values she instilled in her children.
Senator Basiru, in his remarks, recalled that his late mother devoted herself to praying and fasting for his success, describing her unwavering faith and support as instrumental to his life’s journey.