Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has joined a host of eminent Nigerians to celebrate the centennial birthday of elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, describing his attainment of 100 years as both rare and majestic.
In a congratulatory message released on the auspicious occasion, Adebayo declared that Alhaji Yakasai’s life had become so inextricably "interwoven with the political journey of Nigeria that celebrating you is, in truth, celebrating the nation itself.”
“Your 100 years summon not just admiration but reverence, for your presence in our national life reminds us of the long road we have travelled, the storms we have weathered, and the promises we must still labour to fulfil,” Adebayo stated.
He asserted that the centennial milestone was not merely a birthday but a national moment of reflection, commemorating a lifetime etched into the conscience of Nigeria, encompassing its collective hopes, struggles, triumphs, and aspirations.
Prince Adebayo eulogised Alhaji Yakasai's enduring influence, distinguishing him from many of the country's public figures who have faded into obscurity.
He emphasised Yakasai's moral continuity throughout a turbulent century of national life.
“Whenever I reflect on your life, I am struck by the truth that Nigeria has produced many public figures, but very few have endured with the consistency, clarity, courage and moral steadiness that define your towering legacy,” the former presidential candidate remarked.
Yakasai, born in 1925 when Nigeria was still firmly under colonial rule, emerged early as a figure driven by a restless and determined spirit.
Adebayo declared that Yakasai was a young man who strongly believed that freedom, justice, and dignity should be the inheritance of all Nigerians, not reserved as privileges for a select few.
This conviction, Adebayo noted, guided his entire life, from his early and pivotal activism in the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) under the guidance of the late Mallam Aminu Kano, to his instrumental roles in shaping the politics of both the First and Second Republics.
“That conviction has remained unsullied, unbent and unbroken,” Adebayo affirmed. Prince Adebayo went on to describe the elder statesman as one of Nigeria’s vital moral anchors, a living archive, and a grand repository of wisdom drawn not from mere speculation, but from decades of lived experience, frontline service, and personal sacrifices made for the greater good of the nation.
“You speak of colonialism, independence, coups, transitions, reconciliation and democratic rebirth not as someone who observed history from the gallery but as one who stood in the arena, feeling its dust and its fire.
“Alhaji Yakasai has experienced Nigeria through both her brightest dawns and in her darkest nights. He has watched leaders succeed and fail, witnessed institutions flourish and decay, and observed policies that have lifted citizens into dignity and others that have plunged them into despair,” Adebayo conveyed.
Through this continuous, shifting spectacle of national politics, Adebayo stressed that Yakasai has advised presidents, mentored younger politicians, challenged those who strayed from the path of justice, and comforted those forgotten by the system.
“Whenever I listen to you or read your reflections on governance and nationhood, I am reminded of the rare blessing Allah has bestowed upon you; the blessing of a mind that refuses to age.
“At 100, your intellect retains the sharpness of a scholar, the discipline of a statesman and the moral clarity of a patriot who has never, for one day, retired from the obligation of thinking about Nigeria’s progress,” Adebayo stated.
Adebayo dedicated a special tribute to Yakasai's courage, insisting that it deserves its chapter in Nigeria’s book of heroes.
“Unlike many elder statesmen who retreat into comfort, Yakasai remains actively engaged, offering fearless commentary.
“You are not the kind of elder statesman who retreats into the comfort of age to offer safe or vague commentary. You speak truth, even when truth is costly.
“You insist on justice even when justice is unfashionable. And for these convictions, you endured arrests, detentions and public criticisms; yet you remained unbroken, “ Adebayo remarked.
Adebayo added that this steadfastness stands as a beacon for a new generation that must rediscover its moral compass.
While acknowledging Alhaji Yakasai as a cultural treasure and a historic pillar of Kano and the wider Northern region, Adebayo was emphatic that his significance transcends regional boundaries.
“He is far greater than a northern icon; you are a national symbol. Throughout his life, Yakasai championed the conviction that Nigeria’s diversity is a divine blessing, provided the country is governed with fairness.
“His friendships and alliances, Adebayo observed, cut across every conceivable divide: ethnicity, religion, region, and ideology,” Adebayo argued.
Adebayo expressed gratitude to God for preserving the life of the centenarian, stating that while longevity is a gift, purposeful longevity is a miracle.
He prayed that God would preserve Yakasai's wisdom for generations yet to come and that Nigeria, the nation he has served with his body, mind and conscience, may one day fully embody the ideals of justice, unity, compassion, and accountable leadership that he has defended all his life.
“Your example calls every Nigerian to honesty in speech, fidelity in service, love for our country even when she stumbles and an unshakeable belief in the dignity of every citizen.
“If we imitate even a fraction of your courage and moral clarity, Nigeria will, undoubtedly, become a better nation,” Adebayo concluded.
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