Leading opposition figures, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have mourned the demise of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba.
Atiku and Obi conveyed their condolences in separate statements on Wednesday.
Atiku, a former Vice President, said he received the demise of the two leading political figures with “rude shock”.
“A two-term elected governor of the Sunshine State, Akeredolu was a politician of class because he was never known for destructive politics.
“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.
“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.
Obi recalled his interactions with Akeredolu, who was a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and Na’Abba, with whom he often dissected Nigeria’s problems.
“I was opportune to be close to Gov Akeredolu as the then President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. He invited me to speak at an NBA event and since then we remained close and always discussed issues about Nigeria.
“While Na’Abba served as Speaker, we met on several occasions and always discussed the problems of Nigeria.
“For Akerodolu, may God Almighty who called him home grant him eternal rest in His kingdom, and grant his immediate family and the good people of Ondo State, the fortitude to bear his loss.
“For Ghali Na’Abba, may God Almighty forgive his sins and grant him eternal rest and grant his family and the good people of Kano State, the fortitude to bear his loss.
“Their deaths show us, who are still serving, the nothingness of life and why we should remain firm in good works. May God grant all of us, who mourn them, and the entire nation, the fortitude to bear their losses,” the former Anambra governor said.
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