Breaking: Awujale of Ijebuland Dies Hours After the Passing of His Longtime Friend, Buhari

• Following ex-President Muhammadu Buhari's death, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, passed away at the age of 91
• Former President Buhari and late Awujale's relationship dated back to 1983 when the former overthrown the then democratic government and saved the latter from dethronement
• Late Oba Adetona was reported to be one of the long-serving traditional rulers in Nigeria as he was on the throne for 62 years

The Awujale of Ijebuland, Sikiru Kayode Adetona, has reportedly died at 91. The first-class traditional ruler died on Sunday, July 13, hours after the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was a long-time friend of the monarch, was announced.

Adetona became the Awujale of Ijebuland on April 2, 1960 and ruled the ancestral land for 62 years. This made him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in the history of Nigeria.

According to The Cable, Awujale's friendship with Buhari dated back to the 1980s and under extraordinary circumstances, the two cemented their friendship.

Recall that in 1983, the then-governor of Ogun state signed a formal order to depose the Ogun traditional ruler, Adetona. According to the order, the monarch was scheduled to be removed from office on January 2, 1984.

However, Buhari's coup on December 31, 1983, which sacked the then-civilian government, stopped the governor's plan. Inadvertently, Buhari's intervention sustained the reign of the Awujale.

Shettima visits Buhari in London hospital

Buhari died barely a week after Vice President Kashim Shettima visited him at the London hospital. Shettima reportedly visited the immediate past President Buhari on Monday, July 7.

According to sources, the vice president made the trip on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, who was reported to have asked the president to travel to London following his visit to Ethiopia.

Tinubu's action was a result of the emerging and disturbing information about the immediate past president's health status, even though his former aide, Bashir Ahmad, earlier cleared the doubt about Buhari's state of health.

Why Shettima visited Buhari in London hospital

It was also learnt that the vice president was directed to visit Buhari in the London hospital to ascertain the actual state of his health and ensure that the former president gets whatever support he needs to enhance his health for quick recovery.

Shettima, who was invited by the Ethiopian Prime Minister to attend the commissioning of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) in Addis Ababa, the country's capital, last week. During his trip to the country, and explored the agricultural progress and evolution in the country.

The vice president was said to have travelled to London on Sunday, July 6 and arrived on Monday, July 7. The sources disclosed that Shettima went straight to see Buhari and spent hours with him. He then delivered the president's good wishes and prayed for the former president.

Presidency speaks on Tinubu's support for Buhari

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu's contribution to former President Muhammadu Buhari's success in the 2015 presidential election has finally been outlined.

The presidency, in a statement, explained two things that were missing in Buhari's 12 million votes before his alliance with Tinubu ahead of the 2015 elections.

The presidency's explanation was a reaction to former SGF Boss Mustapha's claim that Tinubu did not install Buhari as Nigerian president in 2015.

Source: Legit.ng