Tragedy struck the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State on Friday when the party’s local government chairman, Oyewole Mayowa Solomon, reportedly slumped and died during a reconciliation meeting in Iyara, the council headquarters.
The meeting, convened by a former chairman of Ijumu Local Government Area, Funsho Olumoko was aimed at bringing together party stakeholders and leaders to promote unity and reconciliation within the APC ahead of the coming elections.
According to an eyewitness account, Solomon was actively participating in the meeting Held at Iyara Town Hall, when he suddenly slumped, throwing participants into confusion and panic.
Efforts were reportedly made to revive him and secure medical attention, but he was said to have died shortly afterwards in a hospital in Kabba, where he was rushed to.
The development sent shockwaves through the gathering. Party leaders and other participants were said to have been left devastated by the sudden death of the APC chairman.
The meeting came against the backdrop of recent efforts by APC leaders and stakeholders in Ijumu to address disagreements within the party and strengthen unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It was gathered that earlier this month, APC stakeholders in the LGA had held a meeting in Iyara at which they endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for second terms.
The stakeholders had also called for greater unity among party members, although the earlier meeting was reportedly marked by disagreements over the leadership of the local government, where the deceased and some other top government functionaries were said to have walked out on the local government council chairman.
Olumoko, who convened Friday’s meeting, was a former chairman of the local government and has previously been tasked by the Ijumu Consultative Forum with helping to unite political stakeholders in the area.
Meanwhile, Senator Smart Adeyemi has expressed deep shock and grief over the sudden death of the APC Chairman describing his death as tragic and painful.
He said the deceased was a young, energetic and committed party leader whose contribution to the growth and stability of the APC in Ijumu would be difficult to replace.
According to him, Solomon’s death was not only a personal tragedy to his family, but also a great loss to the entire APC family in Ijumu, Kogi State and beyond, coming at a time when his energy and leadership were needed most in strengthening the party.
“I received the news of the sudden death of our dear brother and party chairman, Hon. Mayowa Solomon, with profound shock and disbelief. It was one of those painful calls that leave you speechless.
“Mayowa was young, energetic, committed and deeply passionate about the progress of our party and his people. To me, he was not just an APC chairman; he was a dependable party man and, without exaggeration, the best chairman the APC has had in Ijumu Local Government Area,” Adeyemi said.
