Nigerians woke up Wednesday to the sad news of the passing of two prominent political figures, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’abba, and the sitting governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu.
Na’abba, who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives between July 1999 and 3 June 2003, was said to have died in Abuja, aged 65, while Akeredolu, who had been battling leukemia, died in Lagos at the age of 67, according to multiple media sources.
Reacting to the death of Akeredolu, President Bola Tinubu described the late governor as a fearless brother, soulmate and confidant with whom he fought many battles “to restore progressive governance in the South West, Edo State, and Nigeria as a whole.”
“It is an impossible task to fully capture in words Rotimi’s towering figure and his human essence. Rotimi was a man who moved our nation towards equity, fairness and justice in his strident advocacy against every form of injustice in our country through the instrumentality of the law as a senior advocate, attorney-general of his beloved state, as President of the Nigerian Bar Association and Governor of Ondo State,” Tinubu said in a personal statement.
He said in a challenging moment of Nigeria’s statehood when marauding agents of darkness spread their tentacles across the country, “Rotimi was a strong voice in wilderness calling us to rethink our security architecture so we can have a more secure nation. His unrelenting advocacy led to the birth of the local police in the South West”.
The President described Akeredolu as “a man of ideas and action” who “taught us the power of action and service.”
“In Ondo State, where he had the honour to serve as the Governor over the past six years, he served his people with absolute loyalty, dedication, and forthrightness. His footprints dot the entire landscape of the state through the hundreds of kilometres of roads he built, the many schools he built, and healthcare facilities that he provided,” Tinubu said.
“During the dark hours when marauding agents of darkness visited the state and killed defenceless citizens where 40 worshippers of the Catholic Church of Owo were killed on June 5, 2022, Rotimi’s leadership qualities as a true statesman and compassionate leader radiated brightly to the world. He was a mourner-in-chief who guided his people through an agonising period. Today, I mourn a fighter and fearless defender of truth and the masses,” he said.
Also mourning the passing of Na’Abba, Tinubu recalled the contributions of the late ex-lawmaker to nation-building through legislation, advocacy and policy.
In a statement issued on Wednesday through presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu hailed Na’Abba’s determined struggle to defend the functionality and role of the legislature in governance, describing him as a disciplined and committed politician.
On his part, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, expressed shock and sadness at the death of Akeredolu and Ghali Na’Abba.
Atiku, in a statement posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, said Governor Akeredolu was a quintessential gentleman who took the finesse to governance.
“Hon. Na’Abba on the other hand raised the bar of legislative enterprise in Nigeria as it is evident that the 1st Session of the National Assembly where he served with distinction between 1999-2003 remains one of the best in the annals of our legislatures,” Atiku said.
“Both Governor Akeredolu, Aketi, as he was fondly called, and Speaker Na’Abba will be sorely missed for the inestimable roles that they played in our national development,” he said.
Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, commiserated with the Akeredolu family, as well as the Government and people of Ondo State, praying God to grant them the fortitude to bear the painful and irreparable loss.
In a statement, Obaseki said the late Ondo State governor served his people meritoriously and diligently, building a legacy of sacrifice, sustainable development and prosperity.
“Brave and independent-minded, Akeredolu was a great man in all ramifications. From an illustrious career as a lawyer, rising to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and then serving as Governor of Ondo State, his intellect, hard work and diligence stood him out and was reflected in his attainments and the fervour with which he served the good people of Ondo State,” Obaseki said.
“His legacy in the legal profession is indelible as he was renowned in his field of expertise while building a reputation of being thorough, incisive and comprehensive. It won him a lot of admirers who came to recognise his genius,” he said.
Obaseki said Akeredolu was a governor who cared deeply for Ondo people, undertook projects that would cement his name in the sands of time, made remarkable progress in developing different sectors of the state’s economy and improved on key indices of government.
“When it mattered the most, he was always a voice of reason to provide insight, direction and guidance on issues of national importance, a reflection of his love for our dear country and deep introspection. He, indeed, gave himself for the service of the motherland,” Obaseki said.
“He will be remembered for his unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s development, for contributing to the emergence of modern Ondo State and for his unblemished faith in Nigeria’s unity and diversity,” he said.
In the same vein, Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed sadness at the death of the Na’Abba, whom he described as a patriot, selfless politician, and true democrat who sacrificed his ambition by repelling dictatorship and instituting the independence of the legislature.
“I must say the mutual respect and understanding that exists between the Legislature and the Executive today is a direct product of the laudable antecedents of great leaders such as Na’Abba who sacrificed to institute genuine representative democracy in the country,” Akpabio said in a condolence message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh.
“As the second speaker of the 4th House of Representatives, I recall with nostalgia how Rt. Hon. Na’Abba stood like the great wall of Gibraltar against the excesses of the Executive to give the Nigerian electorates value for their votes by ensuring that the right things were done to keep our democracy afloat,” Akpabio said.
“We, at the National Assembly and in fact, all Nigerians of goodwill and advocates of true democratic ethos hold you in high esteem and will always remember that you were one politician who practiced what you preached,” he said.
He prayed for Allah to have mercy on the deceased’s soul and grant him Aljannah Firdaus.
Similarly, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, in a condolence message to the Progressives Governors’ Forum, the government and people of Ondo State, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the immediate family of Akeredolu, described the late governor as “a frontline lawyer and conscientious politician of progressive bent” who “would be remembered for his courage, patriotism, and immeasurable contributions to the constitutional and sociopolitical development of Nigeria.”
“As painful as his exit is to all of us, we take solace in his fine legacies as a gentleman and statesman. We ask God to repose his soul and look after his family,” AbdulRazaq said.
Others, including the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the Northern Governors’ Forum through its Chairman and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, and the PDP family, prayed for the repose of the souls of the two departed political figures.
