No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it, and that is how it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.”
— Steve Jobs
Though it has been a few years since the passing of my dear brother and friend, Comrade Yinka Odumakin, the pain remains fresh — not merely because of how he died, but because of how he lived.
His death in April 2021 was a rude shock, not because he was too young or too old to die, but because he lived his life boldly, on his own terms. Egbon Yinka was not a man to be caged or silenced. He was a man of steel wrapped in humility — calm, resolute, and unwavering in his convictions.
Our paths crossed in 1989 during our university days at Obafemi Awolowo University. I still remember that moment clearly — he approached me at the basement of Awo Hall, politely asking for a lift to Ibadan. I agreed, and we made the trip together in my Mercedes Benz 200 with the plate number OY 3 B.
That short drive offered me an unexpected opportunity to interact with one of the most fearless student leaders of our generation — the Student Union’s indefatigable Public Relations Officer. A man of few words, but immense action.
From that journey, a friendship was born. And through the years, our paths kept crossing.
I vividly remember the meeting in 2006 when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent Yinka, alongside Chief Wale Osun and His Excellency, Chief Niyi Adebayo, to Ibadan to resolve the rift within the Action Congress — a tense standoff between the Atiku/Ladoja camp and the late Lam Adesina faction. Yinka played his usual peacekeeping role — calm but firm, focused but accommodating.
In 2007, he introduced his wife, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, to me at the memorial service for Chief Gani Fawehinmi. That introduction, like many other encounters with Yinka, was informal yet deeply respectful. Over the years, we met on several occasions — even at the home of former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko — and I remained struck by his humility and grace.
Two years before his passing, someone forwarded an article written by him about His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I waited till late that night before calling him. I told him that I wanted something from him, and didn’t want him to say no.
He laughed and said, “Wole, if your request is not my wife and I have what you’re looking for, consider it done.”
I explained how I’d read his article and wished he would no longer comment on the matter. He replied with his characteristic wit: “Wole, you used the Ibadan diplomacy trick on me — making me commit before telling me what it was.”
Then he added, “Anyway, Wole, tell your Uncle to stop sponsoring media attacks against me, and I promise you I will stop writing anything negative about him. You can take my word to the bank.”
I told him I hadn’t spoken with Asiwaju; I was reaching out based on the article, and out of brotherly concern. I promised to discreetly investigate his claim. After speaking to a few trusted people, I discovered there was likely some truth in what he said.
A week later, I called Yinka back, and to the best of my knowledge, that was the last article he wrote on that particular issue.
Little things like that gladdened my heart. When someone older than I am gave me the kind of respect I felt I didn’t deserve, it reminded me of his nobility.
A Life of Activism and Courage
Yinka Odumakin was more than a friend. He was a public intellectual, a social crusader, and a brave voice for the voiceless. He rose to national prominence during the turbulent era of military rule in Nigeria, earning a reputation for unwavering activism under the umbrella of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).
A staunch Awoist and committed democrat, Yinka believed deeply in restructuring, federalism, and justice. His role as the spokesperson of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere, and later as a critic of successive governments — regardless of political alignment — cemented his place as a conscience of the nation.
He was never afraid to speak truth to power — even when it came at great personal cost.
His transition in 2021 at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) due to COVID-19 complications was a devastating loss, not just to his family, but to all who believed in his dream of a just and equitable Nigeria.
Yinka lived a short but impactful life. He was a patriot, a husband, a friend, a fighter, and above all, a man who stood by his word.
May the Almighty forgive your shortcomings, comfort your beloved wife, and grant your soul eternal peace.
Ko si aiye ai-ku. Ki Olorun te e si afefe rere.
Amin.
Mogaji Wole Arisekola writes from Ibadan.
