Senator Biyi Durojaiye dies of COVID-19

Biyi Durojaiye, a former NADECO chief and senator who served Nigeria as a lawmaker in the fourth republic, died Tuesday while receiving medical care.

 

The 88-year-old died at the hospital on Tuesday morning.

 

A source confirmed that Mr Durojaiye died of COVID-19 related illness.

 

Born in the year 1933, the former senator represented Ogun East constituency under the Alliance Democracy (AD) between 1999 and 2003.

 

He earned two university degrees (B.Sc Economics and LLB) from London university and worked in the Nigeria public sector in a career that spanned 35 years.

 

In 1979 he was called to the Nigerian Bar to join the legal profession as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

 

Mr Durojaiye, 88, was the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

 

The politician was a renowned member of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

 

In 1992 he was a presidential aspirant under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), contested against and lost to Moshood ‘M.K.O’ Abiola who later won the 1993 election.

 

In 1996, Mr Durojaiye was imprisoned for 560 days during the military regime of General Sanni Abacha. A report published in 1997 states that Mr Durojaiye suffered high blood pressure and poor health due to the ill treatment suffered during his imprisonment.