Acting national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Amb. Umar Ilya Damagum has pledged to immortalise the late former national chairman Prince Vincent Eze Ogbulafor.
Damagum who stated this yesterday during a valedictory session in honour of the late leader at the party national headquarters in Abuja, said Ogbulafor’s legacies will remain evergreen.
He said Ogbulafor was bold to declare that PDP will remain in power for 60 years because of the party’s strong political structure and the good governance provided by the party.
He said, “He has made his mark in this party. The testimonies from our leaders shows that he lived a fulfilled life. His exit may be a great loss to the family but he has left a great legacies.
“The party will find a place to immortalise him. He deserves it because he has worked for it”.
On his part, PDP national secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, “What we should be celebrating is the legacy he left behind. His demise is a very great loss to the party, to Abia and to Nigeria.”
Speaking also, a former national chairman and former national secretary, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, said Ogbulafor’s leadership qualities bloomed early in life.
Nwodo, who was Ogbulafor’s classmate, said “His philanthropy and kind heartedness was succour for all the indigent students in our school.
“He was the first person to be a national secretary and national chairman in PDP. If he had not done well, he would not have been elevated to the chairmanship position. He was a contented person.
“He was the brain behind the 12 floor national secretariat of the party and organised the launching and building of the massive edifice that has remained that way since he left office.”
Another former PDP national chairman, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi said, “We are celebrating the transition of someone who lived well. I can’t recall any time I saw him angry no matter how much provoked. He was a peacemaker. Even when he was faced with trumped up charges, he remained calm. He was a de-tribalised Nigerian.”
Former Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki said, “He was selfless, humble and a visionary leader. He was a man of courage, candour, consistency and compassion. He fought for what he believed in and God vindicated him.”Also former PDP national chairman Prince Uche Secondus said, “He was an embodiment of humility and honesty, a quality that present leaders of the country lack. He was an unassuming leader who remained calm and smiling even in the midst of provocation. He was a man of honour.”
Former national secretary, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, “He never runs dry of ideas and his ideas were always apt and precise. He was a leader that had a lot of empathy for his colleagues and staff of the Secretariat. He was humble to a fault.
“He has an unquantifiable passion for PDP. During his tenure he ensured that the party came first.”
First son of the deceased Prince Uchenna Ogbulafor appreciated the party for the good words they said about his late father.
“You have shown us what my dad represents. We are proud of PDP. We appreciate you all and it is an honour to see how you paid homage to my dad. He is a simple man and we his children have taken the best part of him as people talk about the impact he has made in their lives.”
Ogbulafor 73, was former National Secretary of PDP, 2001 -2005 and former National Chairman 2008 – 2010 and also a cabinet member.
His remains was flown home from Canada on Wednesday and will be interred next Friday.
Other dignitaries who attended the event were: former BoT Chairman Sen. Walid Jibrin, former national chairman South Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu Chukwu, former national organizing secretary Austin Akonundu, former woman leader Hajia Mariam Waziri, former national secretary Sen. Ben Obi, Chairman burial committee Chief Okey Nwadinobi and many others.
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