In an era where political leaders are often associated with luxury, former Ondo State Governor Michael Adekunle Ajasin stood out for his remarkable simplicity and integrity. Throughout his tenure from 1979 to 1983, Ajasin neither bought a single new outfit nor acquired a new car.
“I came into office in October 1979 with a set of my own rich native dresses and left office in December 1983 with the same set of dresses—no addition, no subtraction,” Ajasin once told Vanguard in an interview.
His two personal cars also met unusual fates. One reached the end of its lifespan after being used for the 1982 shadow elections, while the other was “borrowed” by a political associate and never returned.
Despite his modest lifestyle, Ajasin’s impact on governance and democracy was anything but small. He signed the law establishing Ondo State University (now in present-day Ekiti), championed democratic causes through Afenifere and NADECO, and stood against military rule, even at the cost of his own freedom.
His arrest under the Abacha regime in 1995 is believed to have contributed to his declining health, leading to his passing on October 4, 1997.
Ajasin may not have changed his clothes, but he certainly changed the course of history.
