Former Oyo State Governor, Senator Ajimobi is dead.
He died in the early hours of today Thursday June 25, 2020 after battling with Coronavirus.
The 70-year-old slipped into coma last Thursday for the second time as a result of COVID-19 complications.
The news sparked rumours of his death, sending panic across the landscape especially among his supporters and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where he is the National Deputy Chairman (South) of the party.
On Monday, a reliable source close to the ex-governor told SaharaReporters that Ajimobi had been on life support machine since Friday after he slipped into a deep coma and may not make any recovery going by the observations of medical experts around him.
The source further disclosed that the former Oyo governor has had a lung surgery since being hospitalised but made no progress while his kidneys have also failed.
Doctors treating Ajimobi, it was reliably gathered, on Friday informed his family that his situation had defied every medical intervention and that only a miracle can bring him back to life.
To douse tension generated by his health condition, SaharaReporters discovered that his supporters have circulated an old video on the Internet of Ajimobi having lunch, claiming that it was captured during the recent Muslim festival to mark the end of Ramadan fast just to show that he was alive and in fact healthy.
According to the source, who spoke with SaharaReporters, the move was a deliberate attempt to deflect attention away from his precarious state of health.
“He is in very bad shape, he has been hooked to a ventilator since and on life support machine since Friday. There is only a very slim chance of him making it alive from that hospital.
“The video in circulation is an old one meant to douse tension among his supporters,” the source said.
Ajimobi has been in the Intensive Care Unit at First Cardiology Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos, since he was rushed to the place few weeks ago after it emerged he had Coronavirus.
The former governor first slipped into coma on June 8 but was revived and stabilised by doctors until last Thursday when he again went totally unconscious.
First Cardiology is the same hospital where former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, was treated for Coronavirus until he died of the disease.
Meanwhile, the deceased was appointed as the Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Party last week.
In a statement released by his Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy, Bolaji Tunji, Senator Abiola Ajimobi had called on all APC Stakeholders to continue to observe the peace as he assumes position as acting National Chairman of the APC.
Senator Ajimobi spoke on Tuesday in the aftermath of the order of the Court of Appeal affirming the suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman.
He was survived by his wife, Florence, their children and many grandchildren.