Saraki: Governors, Patience Jonathan, Tinubu Mourn
Serving and former governors have expressed their regret over the death of Second Republic Senate Leader, Dr. Olusola Saraki.
Also, Patience, wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, joined them in mourning the Peoples Democratic Party chief, who died in Lagos on Wednesday.
Governors Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Peter Obi (Anambra), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Idris Wada (Kogi), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Theodore Orji (Abia) and Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) said the country would miss Saraki greatly.
The former governors — Chief Bola Tinubu (Lagos), Chief Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti) and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun) — lamented that Saraki exited when he was most needed.
Imoke, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, described Saraki’s death as a loss not only to his family and Kwara State people but also to Nigeria as a whole.
Mimiko said, “The exit of the political gadfly is a great loss to the generation of political icons and nationalists in the country.”
Jang said the late politician was “a great mentor, a mobiliser, a symbol of the struggle for a better society and a philanthropist”.
Fayemi lamented that Saraki’s death came at a time when the country had yet to recover from the shock of the death of former Oyo State Governor Lam Adesina. Adesina died on Sunday.
Obi said, “Saraki was a detribalised Nigerian in the true sense of the word. He was a bridge builder. This strong trait of character made him a stabilising influence in our national polity.”
In their condolences, Aregbesola, Yuguda, Orji and Oshiomhole said the deceased would be “sorely missed”.
Wada said Saraki’s “unique political skills and regular contributions to national discourse would be greatly missed by all Nigerians”.
Mrs. Jonathan, in a statement, said, “Saraki’s death is a loss not only to the people of Kwara, whom he faithfully served for decades, but the entire nation, especially the political class.
“His death came as a rude shock and becomes more painful with reference to his invaluable wisdom which is obviously required in the urgent efforts to re-engineer the development process of our great country.”
Tinubu said, “He spent a very fulfilling life. He is national hero to many of us in this country. He contributed immensely to the liberty and the political emancipation of Nigeria and our great democracy.”
Adebayo said, “He was a patriot. He lived for Nigeria and loved the country. I know this because of my personal interaction with him. I spent a year in Ilorin and when I was there, he was someone whose name was resonating as a politician.”
Source: Legit.ng
