Former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, described the death of former Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representative, Hon Ghali Na’Abba, as a national tragedy and a setback to democratic progress.
Also, a former presidential candidate and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has described the deaths of Na’Abba and former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, as a huge loss to Nigeria’s politics and democracy.
In his statement, Anyim, who recounted plans by former presiding officers of the National Assembly to fly the former speaker abroad for medical assistance, said “Hon. Ghali’s death is a national tragedy and a setback to our democratic progress.”
The former Senate president who served at the same time Na’Abba was speaker said they both collaborated closely as heads of the upper and lower chambers, adding “I will always be grateful to Ghali for supporting me during my difficult Senate tenure.”
Anyim recalled that to re-establish all democratic institutions by legislation, he and Na’Abba redefined the relationship between the executive and legislature and sought to ensure the legislature’s independence.
“In remembrance of the pioneer work Hon. Ghali accomplished in the House of Representatives, it may be needful to name the House of Representative Wing of the National Assembly Complex as Hon. Ghali Umar Na’abba’s Wing.”
On his part, Olawepo-Hashim, in a statement released by his media office in Abuja yesterday, said Akeredolu and Na’Abba, 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.”
On Akeredolu, Olawepo-Hashim stressed that the former Governor of Ondo state contributed immensely in the struggle to uphold the rule of law in Nigeria through his legal practice and as President of the NBA, before venturing into partisan politics.
He noted that the former Ondo State governor was a believer in the principles of true federalism and his death would remain as a great loss to the nation .
“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.
The politician prayed that God would grant the families and the loved ones of these two great Nigerians the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
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