Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has described the former national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Bisi Akande, as an exemplary leader whose courage in public service has helped Nigeria in so many dimensions.

In a press statement by Aregbesola’s spokesman Mr Semiu Okanlawon, the governor said Nigeria’s political history would be incomplete without adequately chronicling the eminent roles played by Mr Akande who was also a former Governor of Osun.

The Governor said Chief Akande brought transparency into governance, adding that his tenure as governor of Osun is mostly remembered for the selfless service to the people and the courage he brought into governance.

“Chief Bisi Akande is a democrat of no small status when the history of democratic struggles in Nigeria is written. He was one of those who fought to ensure that the military retreated to the barracks and he never looked back while the struggle lasted.

“His emergence as the Governor of Osun in 1999 proved to be one of the best things to have happened to our state. Since the creation of Osun, his administration was the first to give a sense of direction to the future development plans for the state.

“He might have encountered challenges along the line, but it is worthy of note that Mr Adebisi Akande demonstrated uncommon courage in handling state matters as long as they mattered to the future survival and growth of the state.

“Today, history has proved Mr Akande’s actions in office as very painful but courageous,” the statement read.

He added that “in saluting the courage of this eminent elder statesman, we must not fail to recognise his roles in the conception and actual formation of our party, the APC.

“Mr Akande demonstrated an uncommon agility and vigor in all the activities leading to the successful birth of our party. Today, Nigerians can heave a sigh of relief from the 16 years of misrule that the PDP represented”.