President Muhammadu Buhari, Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and governors elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, mourned the demise of elder statesman, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Abdulrasaq, SAN.
The deceased was the father of Kwara State governor, Abdulrahaman Abdulrasaq.
Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant, Media, Mallam Garba Shehu, described the late statesman as an outstanding parliamentarian of his time.
Shehu quoted Buhari as saying, “we will remember him as one of this country’s greatest legal minds and a national leader. He garnered respect that transcended our barriers visible and otherwise.
“His enormous contribution to the welfare of the people of his community, Kwara State and the country as a whole will serve to inspire future generations of our citizens. Whenever our nation loses an elder in the class of Alhaji Abdulrazaq, it should serve as a moment of reflection on how the lives they lived and their sacrifices built the foundation of what we must continue to strengthen.”
In a statement by Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, APC governors described the death of Abdulrasaq as a loss to the legal profession and Nigeria.
Bello, Oyetola
Also, Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, in a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed, said he received the news of the death with sadness.
Osun State governor, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, also condoled with his Kwara State counterpart.
Oyetola in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, also commiserated with the entire Abdulrasaq family, the Ilorin Emirate and the people of Kwara State over the incident.
He laboured for Nigeria—Tinubu
National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, also mourned the passage of the elder statesman, describing him as an iconic patriot.
In a statement made available to Sunday Vanguard, Tinubu said the death of Abdulrasaq signified the end of an era in Nigeria’s history.
He said: “The likes of AGF were the proverbial hewers of wood and drawers of water who laboured hard for the strong foundation upon which our dear country was erected.
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“A nationalist in its true definition and a pan-Nigerian in all its adoring flavours, Papa Abdulrasaq did a lot for this country. He was an educationist who founded the first privately-owned secondary school, Ilorin College, Ilorin, now known as Ilorin Government High School, in the old Ilorin Province.”
Other eminent Nigerians, who mourned the late senior citizen include former Senate President, Sen Bukola Saraki, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
Family
Meanwhile, a statement by the family said the deceased died yesterday at 2 am in Abuja. He was 93 years old.
The remains of patriarch of Abdulrasaq was brought to Ilorin yesterday afternoon and interred in Idi-Igba compound, in Pakata area of Ilorin.
The funeral prayers were led by Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed.
The late elder statesman, who was the first lawyer from the northern region, was called to the bar on February 8, 1955, at the Inner Temple, London.
He was Chairman of the Nigerian Body of Benchers and President, Nigerian Stock Exchange from 2000 to 2003.
In the First Republic, he was the Minister of Transport. In 1967, he became the Commissioner for Finance, Health and Social Welfare in Kwara State.