Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed the identity of his political role model.

According to the former President, the First Republic Federal Minister of Social Services and Natural Resources, Chief Adegoke Adelabu, popularly known as ‘Penkelemesi’, is the man deserving of such an honour.

Obasanjo said this on Saturday, July 18 at his Hilltop residence, Abeokuta, while receiving the family members of the late politician, who paid him a courtesy visit.

The family of Adelabu had come to inform Obasanjo of the 100 years posthumous birthday of the politician slated for September 3, 2015 and a foundation to be inaugurated in his name.

Speaking of Adelabu, Obasanjo said:

“Adelabu was not just a historic figure, he was a reality. He was a phenomenon; he was uniquely Yoruba, uniquely Nigerian, uniquely African and uniquely a member of human race.

“What you are proposing to do, I believe Adelabu deserved it in every facet. Today, we are still struggling to reach the pinnacle or the pedestal Adelabu reached in politics, of not being swayed by linguistic, ethnic, tribal, regional, sectional consideration but by what is best for Nigeria.

“He was years ahead of his contemporaries in politics. In his life time, he was talking of United State of West Africa; ECOWAS came up years after his demise.

“In his life time, he belonged to a political party that has its base outside the Western Region, where he came from. He was not a tribal baron; he was a national politician.

“So, when you asked me to be the patron of Adelabu posthumous centenary birthday celebration,  I have no reason to say ‘no’.

“I have no reasons to say ‘no’ because, I share what Adelabu stood for. I share Adelabu’s philosophy of a united Nigeria and believe. I share Adelabu’s view of politics beyond ethnicity, beyond tribe, beyond region and I believe that in our national life, we should extol the virtues like those ones we saw in Adelabu.

“A man of the people, down to earth, absolutely down to earth and yet, a man who believed that his politics must be above ethnicity, must be above tribe, must be to unite the country while, of course, uplifting his own people.

“On behalf of the family who asked me to accept this and having accepted this, I will do my utmost best to contribute to making that day you have chosen to celebrate the birthday a success and also to use it to remind those who may like to forget that there was, even before independent, men and Nigerians like Adelabu, who believed in the unity of this country, who lived for it and indeed died for it.”