The National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has lost his ex-wife.
Though information about the death of the estranged wife of the political icon was shrouded in secrecy, make it exclusively gathered that the deceased died about three and a half weeks ago.
She was said to be the mother of Jide who died on November 1, 2017. Jide was said to be the first son of Tinubu.
Multiple sources, who spoke under condition of anonymity, confided in this e-newspaper that the woman in question lived at Abraham Adesanya Estate in Lagos until her death. Efforts to get her real names proved abortive.
When contacted, an aide to the political leader said, “Tinubu did not lose his wife. I have just spoken with him.” An aide of Iyaloja-General of Lagos, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, also said he was not aware of the development. He promised to find out and call back. When make it contacted him again after waiting for his return call, his line was switched off.
“Well, I can confirm to you that the (former) wife of Asiwaju (Tinubu) died about three and a half weeks ago. She is the mother of Tinubu’s first son, Jide who himself died last year. I don’t know much about her but I know that she lived at Abraham Adesanya Estate until she passed on,” a source said.
She lived in a bungalow with high fence and black gate towards the end of Road 7 in the estate. When make it visited the estate, the house was locked up.
Another highly placed source told our correspondent that the deceased was no longer recognised as Tinubu’s wife as at the time she died.
The source said: “The truth of the matter is that as far as women in Asiwaju’s life are concerned, it is only Remi Tinubu that is recognised. The issue is that anything other than Remi when it comes to women in his life, is not recognised.
“But what I can confirm to you is that it is true that Jide’s mother died some weeks ago,” the source said.
Abraham Adesanya Estate, Lekki, LagosAbraham Adesanya Estate, Lekki, Lagos
make it further gathered that the deceased who was simply known as “mama” by her neighbours at Abraham Adesanya Estate in Ajah area of Lagos complained of chest and head pain before she died.
A ‘keke Marwa’ driver in the area said she died screaming, “My head, my chest.” He claimed to have known the deceased but admitted that “I never had any contact with her.”
Another keke Marwa driver, who said he often gave her a ride, said she was a nice woman. He also said he was not around when she passed away.
“She called me to give her a ride whenever she didn’t feel like driving. I called her “Mama.” I know nothing about how she died, as I was out of Lagos then. But she had called me two days before her death to ask if I was back. He also said a young lady whom he suspected to be her daughter lived with her. “After mama died, I used to see her around but now, I don’t see her anymore,” he said.
Tinubu, who is a former Lagos State Governor, while reacting to Jide’s death, had disclosed that he died of cardiac arrest.
In a statement by his media aide, Tunde Rahman, Tinubu had said his son’s death was a reminder that “none of us knows when our last day shall be”.
“My son was a highly intelligent person with a vibrant personality and a zest for life. He followed his own course and made his own way on his own terms,” he said.
Abraham Adesanya Estate, Lekki, LagosAbraham Adesanya Estate, Lekki, Lagos
“Those who knew him could not help but like him. Yet, he was taken away by cardiac arrest when it seemed he had so much life to still live. This is a reminder that we must live each day to its best as none of us knows when our last day shall be.
“Mortality comes upon us all. We have no choice in that but we do have a choice whether we shall be good or bad, just or unjust. Let us all strive toward the best in ourselves,” he had said.
