President Muhammadu Buhari, a former vice-president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; Governor Nyesom Wike, his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, and other prominent Nigerians on Saturday mourned a former chairman of the PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor.
Others who mourned Ogbulafor, who died on Friday at the age of 73, were a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu; his successor, Senator Theodore Orji; former Senate President, Senator David Mark; a former national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, and the leadership of the party.
In a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, Buhari commiserated with leaders and members of the PDP, the Olokoro royal family in Umuahia, the government, and the people of Abia over the loss of the former party chieftain.
The president said Ogbulafor would be remembered for his role in the nation’s democratic growth. He commended the zeal of the late prince of Olokoro in sustaining the unity and progress of the country, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, and prayed that God would accept the soul of the departed, and comfort his family.
While condoling with the bereaved family, Atiku lamented that the PDP had been robbed of Ogbulafor’s immense experience and statesmanship that would have aided the party’s pursuit of internal peace and reconciliation.
“Our party and country owe Vincent a lot for his services, and I am worried by his death because it has robbed us of his immense experience and statesmanship which would have aided our pursuit of peace and reconciliation among the members of our great party as we head towards another presidential election in 2023,” the former vice president was quoted as saying in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe.
The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, and the state chapter of the PDP expressed sadness over the news of the death of the former Minister of Economic Planning. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka, Ikpeazu described the late former chairman as a first-class gentleman, an authentic Nigerian leader, and one of the most outstanding indigenes of Abia whose sojourn in politics and administration put the state firmly on the map of Nigeria’s political development, especially in the third republic.
The Peoples Democratic Party said it was grief-stricken over the death of its former national chairman, who it said played key roles alongside other leaders in laying a solid foundation for effective party management and administration.
“Prince Ogbulafor was an exceptionally patriotic leader, a detribalised Nigerian and quintessential democrat who dedicated his skills, resources, and energies in selfless service towards the unity, stability, democratic advancement, and economic development of our nation,” the party added in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
However, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said the former PDP chairman was steadfast in purpose.
Wike, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, added, “He was steadfast in purpose, total in commitment, flawless in character, and yet simple in manner. In fact, his reign as a national chairman of the PDP was remarkable.
Governor Samuel Ortom described the former minister as a true party man who was fair and firm.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, the governor added, “When I was the national auditor of the party under him, Ogbulafor exemplified humility and dedication to duty with the way he led the PDP. He was such a leader par excellence.”
Similarly, a former Senate President, David Mark, said Ogbulafor left behind a legacy of excellence, while a former governor of Kwara State and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, described the news of Ogbulafor’s death as heartbreaking.
On his part, a former governor of Abia State and Chief Whip of the Senate, Dr Orji Kalu, stressed that the late politician contributed to the growth and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, having served in various capacities in the Nigerian political space.
Similarly, another former governor of the state, Senator Theodore Orji, noted that Ogbulafor contributed immensely to the growth of the PDP and toward the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
A former national chairman of the PDP and Technical Adviser to the PDP National Campaign Council, Prince Uche Secondus, described the former party chairman as a great patriot who made significant contributions to the development of democracy in the country through his selfless service to the PDP and the nation. In a statement from his media office, Prince Secondus said Ogbulafor’s wise counsel would be greatly missed especially as the party was campaigning for the 2023 general elections.
