Tayo Ayinde, chief of staff to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described the death of the governor’s deputy chief of staff as a “difficult pill to swallow”.
Mr Soyannwo died on Wednesday after a brief illness. He was aged 55.
Mr Ayinde said in a social media post that he would miss Soyannwo due to the latter’s ability to cover up his lapses for the smooth running of the office.
“Gboyega was a dedicated workaholic, committed and a meticulous individual. His ‘Can do spirit’ is second to none. I never regarded him as my Deputy, he was my brother indeed. He has left a big shoe that is certainly too big for anyone to fill. I am undoubtedly going to miss him for the rest of my life,” he wrote.
“He was my reliever, bullet proof and did a lot of cover ups for me for the smooth running and management of the office. A great testament to what an incredible individual he was.”
Ayinde prayed that God would stand as “buckler and fortress” for Soyannwo’s wife and two children and give everyone the fortitude to bear the loss.
