Former Senate President David Mark has expressed shock and sadness over the deaths of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’abba.
In a statement released by his media adviser, Paul Mumeh, on Wednesday, Mark described the two leaders as “political giants whose passing has created a huge vacuum in Nigeria’s political class.”
He lauded Akeredolu’s distinguished career in the legal profession before entering politics to serve his home state of Ondo and Nigeria as a whole. He stressed Akeredolu’s unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the protection of human rights.
“As a lawyer and President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), he stood for the ordinary man and never compromised his professional standards. As a governor, he made policies and programmes that had a direct positive impact on the people. Akeredolu was peoples’ governor,” he said.
Mark also commended Na’abba’s pivotal role in the fight for democracy in Nigeria, highlighting his contribution to laying the foundation for the current democratic era. He credited Na’abba with fiercely defending the independence of the legislature during his tenure as Speaker.
“Na’abba stood firm when it mattered most,” Mark concluded.
NAN
