Tears flow freely as SDP, Adebayo, Al-Makura, Gbefwi, Jato, others receive remains of late Sen. Akwashiki

…”One of our party’s strongest pillars is gone”, Adebayo mourns

By Chris Ochayi

Tears flow freely as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the people of Nasarawa State received the remains of Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who represented Nasarawa North Senatorial District, of Nasarawa State at the Senate.

Tears flow freely as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the people of Nasarawa State were thrown into deep mourning on Monday as the remains of Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who represented Nasarawa North Senatorial District, were received

Political leaders, party officials, lawmakers and associates trooped to the Nnamid Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja in the early hours of Monday where they poured emotional tributes on the late Senatori whose remains arrived from India.

In his glowing tribute, the former 2023 SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, described the late senator as one of the party’s strongest pillars.

Adebayo said his death was a devastating loss to the family, the state and the nation.

According to him, “Just let’s see, you’ve lost one of your soldiers. We feel devastated, especially for the family. You saw Mrs. Akwashiki here, completely heartbroken,”

Adebayo noted that the pain of the loss cut across communities and political divides, adding that, “We know how the Agon Nation feels. We know how the senatorial district feels. We know how the whole state feels.”

He described the late lawmaker as a man of integrity whose legacy would endure.

He said “Many people who knew Godiya Akwashiki knew that he was a perfect gentleman. The only consolation we can draw is that he died and left his good name behind, which is far better than many who are alive but their good name already left them. He was a great man.”

He recalled that Akwashiki enjoyed the full confidence of his constituents and the respect of colleagues across party lines.

“He was a man who the constituency had full confidence in. Many of his colleagues, including the Right Honorable Gaza here and former governor Makura, and many people from all walks of life, have been testifying. But the more important thing is how the people of his district feel,” Adebayo stated.

“It’s a great loss. I can tell you that there’s no way to manage it. He was a great Christian, a great family man, and a good senator. If he was alive for the next 30 years, people would consider that seat as his,” he said.

On the impact of the death on the party, Adebayo said, “Yes, negative impact to the entire state, even to the legislative quality and the kind of politics he played. For us, we don’t have many like him, and to lose one of the strongest, you can know it’s a great loss.”

He added, “We understand that God knows everything more than we do. From a human angle, it’s a heavy loss in our party. That’s why all of us, wherever we were, made sure we came here to receive him, to let the family know that we are with them and recognize his service. We have no words to describe how heartbroken we are.”

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Hon. Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, described the death as heartbreaking. “It’s quite heartbreaking, to say the least.

He has left his indelible mark in the sands of time. He was a seasoned legislator, a wonderful father and a fantastic husband. It’s a great loss to the state,” Gaza said.

He prayed that the tragedy would strengthen unity. “Our prayer is that by God’s special grace, this death would make us stronger and unite us as a party and as a state,” he said.

Gaza also highlighted the pain of the Egon nation. “Last year was terrible for them. We lost notable persons and youths.

We pray the Lord grants them the fortitude to bear this loss,” he added.
Responding to questions about the absence of serving senators, Gaza said, “We are on recess, and many colleagues are out of the country. But at times of grief, it’s about family.

The most important thing is to pray that God grants him eternal rest and gives the family the strength to bear this irreplaceable loss.”

The ceremony ended with prayers and condolences as leaders and supporters paid their last respects to the late senator.

The Acting National Chairman of the SDP, Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, said the party was deeply saddened by the loss.

“It is very unfortunate. We feel greatly saddened by the death of our distinguished senator, Godiya Akwashiki, representing Nasarawa State.

It is a great loss not only to his constituency and Nasarawa State, but to the SDP family across the nation and Nigeria at this trying period of our democracy,” he said.

According to him, “God gives life and God takes life. What God does is the best always. We condole with the immediate family, the people of his constituency, Nasarawa State and Nigeria at large.”

He noted that the turnout at the event cut across party lines. “You can see former governors and people from different political divides here. It’s not about party alone; it’s about the entire political family,” Gombe said.

Also speaking, the Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dr. Danadi Jato, described the death as a huge blow to the state and Nigeria.

“I want to thank Almighty God for making it possible for us to see a day like this. The man we are here to receive, Distinguished Senator Godiya Akwashiki, is a great loss not just to Nasarawa State, but to the whole of Nigeria as a serving senator,” Jato said.

Recalling their working relationship, he added, “We served together in the state assembly from 2011 to 2015. He was Deputy Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, and he is the first person to return as a senator twice from Nasarawa North Senatorial Zone.”

Jato praised the late senator’s performance in office. “He was a performing senator. He performed excellently well, more than many can think of.