Governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, has paid glowing tribute to his late father, Rev. Joseph Adekanmbi, describing him as a philanthropist, community builder and entrepreneur whose lifelong commitment to education and humanitarian service transformed the lives of many people across Oyo State.
Speaking during a podcast interview with popular Ibadan on-air personality, Ajibola Akinyefa, the APM candidate, Adekanmbi paid tribute to his late father, Rev. Joseph Adekanmbi, highlighting his remarkable legacy of philanthropy, entrepreneurship, education, and community service
Adekanmbi said Rev. Joseph Adekanmbi hailed from Adigun Village in Akanran, Ona Ara Local Government Area, where he demonstrated an unwavering commitment to community development by establishing both a school and a church to serve residents of the community.
According to him, his mother, Asiyanbi Adekanmbi popularly called Iya Elelubo, is from Ile Basorun, Adesina area in Atiba Local Government Area of Oyo State, while his father’s family compound is located at Ile Ojo Seriki, Beyeruka, in Ibadan North East Local Government Area.
Adekanmbi described his late father as a man whose generosity knew no bounds, noting that he sponsored the education of numerous sons and daughters of Adigun Village, enabling many of them to attain successful and fulfilling lives.
“My father was widely known for his humanitarian services. He helped many people from Adigun Village and ensured that several children had access to quality education, which changed the course of their lives,” he said.
He further recalled that his father was among the foremost distributors of Guinness beer in Ibadan, with his business operating from Gbenla, while he also ventured into automobile and land businesses during his lifetime.
Adekanmbi also highlighted his father’s active role in social and cultural development, revealing that Rev. Joseph Adekanmbi was the ninth founding member of the prestigious Egbe Omo Ajorosun Club.
He noted that meetings of the club were one of the regular features at their family home during his childhood, describing the gatherings as cherished memories that reflected his father’s commitment to fostering unity and friendship within the community and Ibadan as whole.
According to the APM governorship candidate, several of his father’s contemporaries who co-founded the association remain active members of the club today, a testament to the enduring legacy of the organization.
He also disclosed that his father served in the Nigerian Army and maintained close relationships with notable personalities, including the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao, whom he described as both a brother and trusted ally of his father.
Adekanmbi said the values of service, compassion, integrity and community development exemplified by his father continue to inspire his personal life and public service philosophy, adding that the legacy of Rev. Joseph Adekanmbi remains evident in the many lives he touched across Oyo State.
