A renowned political scientist and media scholar, Professor Ayo Olukotun is dead.
Bukola Oyeniyi, a historian of African History, broke the news of Olukotun’s demise on his Facebook page, on Wednesday.
His post, read in part: “This is not the way to start a new year, but we accept fate.
“Professor Ayo Olukotun, the renowned political scientist, media scholar, and the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance, Political Science Department, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, died a few minutes ago.
“Professor Olukotun is a mentor, an enviable academic, and a fine columnist, whose works have contributed to the shaping of public policy and discourse in the past three decades.”
Among Olukotun’s last outings was his being guest speaker at the 11th Emeka Anyaoku lecture series held in Ibadan where he spoke on: “Imperative of Good Governance in Nigeria.”
As an academic, Olukotun lectured at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Lagos, and Lagos State University.
He was a visiting professor of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
He was also a distinguished professor and head of, the Department of Political Science, and Dean of, the Faculty of Social Sciences at Lead City University.
He has lectured at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Lagos, and Lagos State University and was a visiting professor of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
He was also a distinguished professor and head of, the Department of Political Science, and Dean of, the Faculty of Social Sciences at Lead City University.
As a journalist, he was the Chair of the Editorial Board of Daily Times; and through his weekly penetrative columns that have appeared in Daily Times, Guardian, Compass and Punch, and several other frontline newspapers, Professor Olukotun evoked deep ideas to challenge issues of bad governance in the country, while copiously recommending alternative pathways to national redemption.
