Ogbonnaya Onu: Tinubu Reacts As APC’s 2023 Presidential Aspirant Dies

Ogbonnaya Onu: Tinubu Reacts As APC’s 2023 Presidential Aspirant Dies

  • Nigerians have continued to react differently to the death of former governor and minister, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu
  • President Tinubu was deeply saddened by the death of the former APC presidential hopeful, whom he described as a "luminous star in Nigeria’s political firmament"
  • Onu was a principal draughtsman in the founding of the ruling APC and a valiant partner in the victory of the party in the 2015 elections

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

State House, Abuja - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reacted to the death of Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, CON, the former Minister of Science & Technology and governor of Abia state.

Tinubu mourns death of Buhari's ex-minister, Onu
President Tinubu mourns the passing of former minister and governor, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu. Photo credit: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, @FredrickNwabufo
Source: Facebook

Legit.ng reported on Thursday, April 11, that Onu died after a brief illness in an undisclosed hospital in the country at the age of 72.

Read also

Breaking: Former Abia governor, Ogbonnaya Onu is dead

Reacting via a statement signed by his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu described Onu as a luminous star in Nigeria’s political firmament.

"The President mourns a luminous star in Nigeria’s political firmament. The first civilian governor of Abia State; former minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, a principal draughtsman in the founding of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and a valiant partner in the victory of the party in the 2015 elections.
"Most importantly, the President celebrates the life of an accomplished scholar, first-class engineer; a man of proven integrity; defiant to indiscipline, but ever yielding to the highest standards of rectitude."

Fredrick Nwabufo, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement, shared the statement on his X account on Thursday.

According to the statement, Tinubu extended his condolences to the family of Onu, whom he praised for being a principal draughtsman in the founding of the All Progressives Congress and a valiant partner in the victory of the party in the 2015 elections.

Read also

"Dauntless, excellent": Tinubu sends birthday message to Dangote

Tinubu mourns as Olubadan dies at 81

In another development, Legit.ng reported that President Tinubu mourned the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Mohood Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, with a deep sense of grief.

In a statement issued on Friday, March 15, by Ajuri Ngelale, his spokesman, President Tinubu described the late Olubadan as an exceptional king and a courageous man who stood for peace.

“His Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, was an exceptional king who used his ancestral stool in the service of humanity,” Tinubu was quoted as saying on Friday.

“He was compassionate, courageous, and an unrelenting advocate of the pristine ideals of peace, honesty, and unity. His wise counsel will be sorely missed at this time in the life of our country.”

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.