From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
A Nigerian billionaire businessman and former presidential aspirant, Chief Harry Akande, who hailed from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, is dead.
A source within the family, Olumide Akande, who confirmed the death of the Agba-Oye of Ibadanland, said he passed on in the early hours of Saturday after a brief illness.
Though the family source did not disclose the particular illness, some people have allegedly linked his sudden death to COVID-19 complications.
According to the statement issued by Olumide Akande: ‘In the early hours of Saturday, December 5, 2020, our patriarch, Chief Harry Ayodele Akande, passed away following a brief illness.
‘Chief Harry Akande was an astute businessman of international repute whose legacy and influence cut across continents. But by far, his greatest passion was for a better Nigeria that guaranteed equity and justice for all. It is our fervent hope that this will be a reality in the not-too-distant future.
‘His passing is a huge shock to his immediate and extended family, friends and associates. We are all grappling to make some sense of it.
‘As we seek the repose of his gentle soul, we ask you to, in turn, uphold us in your prayers while we pass through this very turbulent period of our lives occasioned by the loss of someone as dear as him.’
