By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Family members, political associates and admirers of Rafiu Bakare Adeyefa Jafojo have held a two-day remembrance to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of the former Lagos deputy governor, celebrating his legacy of loyalty, humility and public service.
The commemorative events began on Thursday, 23 April, 2026 in Ikeja with a memorial lecture attended by political leaders, traditional rulers and close associates.
They continued on Friday, 24 April, 2026 with a solemn Jumat Service at the Ikeja Central Mosque, where prayers were offered for the late statesman, his family and the preservation of the values he represented.
The gathering underscored Jafojo’s enduring relevance in Lagos politics and community life a decade after his passing.
The memorial lecture attracted a high-profile audience, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, represented by Bola Obasanjo. Delegates of Babajide Sanwo-Olu were also present, alongside Senators Tokunbo Afikuyomi and Bode Olajumoke, publisher Dele Momodu, Afenifere chieftain Supo Shonibare and several monarchs.
Their presence, observers noted, reflected the deep respect Jafojo commanded across political, social and cultural lines.
Tributes focused not merely on the offices he held, but on the values that shaped his public life.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Professor Olatunji Olateju described Jafojo as a rare model of political loyalty.
He said the late deputy governor remained steadfast to former Governor Lateef Jakande at a time when many deputies elsewhere sought to outshine their principals.
“He was loyalty personified,” Olateju said. “Today, party discipline has been relegated. Jafojo stood as proof that loyalty is not weakness it is strength.”
Similarly, Senator Olajumoke said Jafojo’s humility transcended religion and politics. “The fact that he and Jakande were Muslims never mattered. It was their simplicity, their devotion to service, that bound them,” he said.
Two of his sons: Adeniyi and Adewale Jafojo, offered a personal reflection of their father’s lifetime
They traced Jafojo’s journey from Denton Street, Ebute Meta, where he was born in 1935, to his upbringing in Ikeja as the only surviving son of the family.
According to the account, Jafojo attended Alafia Institute and Christ High School before travelling to England in 1961 to study building technology at Hackney Technical College and Northern Polytechnic Holloway.
While abroad, he joined the West African Students Union and Egbe Afenifere, thereby demonstrating an early interest in leadership and public affairs.
Upon returning to Nigeria in 1970, he briefly worked as an engineer before entering politics.
By 1975, he had become a councillor in Ikeja. Subsequently, in 1979, he emerged as deputy to Jakande in Lagos State’s first democratically elected governor-deputy governor administration.
Those who knew him described a man of truthfulness, quiet dignity and uncommon ability to unite people.
Furthermore, they said his service extended beyond politics into community development, especially among the Awori people, where he remained highly respected.
