A former Presidential candidate and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has described the death of Ghali Na’Abba, former Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, and former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, as a huge loss to Nigeria’s politics and democracy.
In a statement released by his media office in Abuja, he explained that the duo were political giants who bestrode the nation’s political landscape.
He maintained that the former speaker was a patriot, selfless politician, and true democrat who sacrificed his ambition by repelling dictatorship and instituting the independence of the legislature, adding that “Na’Abba was inspiringly principled, courageous and a deeply patriotic Nigerian who was completely detribilised, tolerant, liberal, gentle and affectionate.”
According to him, Nigeria and Nigerians will surely miss the politician whose effort to sustain democracy and good governance remains indelible.
On Akeredolu, Olawepo-Hashim stressed that the former Ondo governor contributed immensely in the struggle to uphold the rule of law in Nigeria through his legal practice and as President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, before venturing into partisan politics.
“Both men I knew closely. With Na’Abba, we were in the “class of 1999″ together as I was active in the National Executive Committee of the ruling party both as a national officer and as founding Chairman of the Group of 54 NEC members when the late Na’Abba succeeded Salisu Buhari as Speaker.
“In 2019 when I contested as President, Na’Abba with DR Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), co-chaired my campaign council. I shared the deep hope of full recovery with him as he struggled to survive the illness that took him at my last visit with him,” Olawepo-Hashim said.
He prayed that God would grant the families and the loved ones of these two great Nigerians the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
