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Jonathan, APC, Others Mourn Ado Bayero

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President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has led the horde of friends, family and well-wishers condoling with Kano State and the family of its deceased Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero who died earlier today at age 83.

According to a statement released by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, Jonathan received news of the highly revered traditional ruler’s death with immense sadness and a deep feeling of great national loss.

“On behalf of himself, his family, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria, President Jonathan commiserates with the Emir's family and all the people of Kano over whom the departed Emir presided illustriously as traditional ruler for more than half a century,” he said.

 “The President joins them in mourning the monarch whose uncommon leadership qualities and evident faith in the peace, unity, progress, and prosperity of Nigeria combined to make him one of the most respected traditional rulers in the country during his long and very successful reign.”

 The president expressed belief that Bayero will remain honoured in the memories of Kano people and all Nigerians because of his immense wisdom and competence as a traditional ruler, as well as for using his exalted throne to build bridges of unity, friendship and harmony across the nation.

 Jonathan reaffirmed his declaration on the occasion of the Emir's 50th coronation anniversary last year that the late Bayero was one of the most decent and respectable Nigerians he has had the privilege of interacting with. He said he will always treasure pleasant memories of their last meeting earlier in the year.

 Jonathan prayed that the Almighty Allah should receive the late Emir's soul and grant the good people of Kano a worthy successor who will carry on the deceased’s good works and wise rule for the well-being and benefit of all Nigerians.

 Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun also expressed deep regret at the death of the Emir, saying the death is very regrettable.

Expressing his condolence to the government and people of Kano State, the State Emirate Council and Nigeria in general through a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Wakama, Amosun described Bayero as one of the most revered traditional rulers in Nigeria, who personified peace and believed in the unity of the country.

"The death of Alhaji Ado Bayero is regrettable because, even at his age, he was in the vanguard of efforts to curb the activities of insurgents in the North,” Amosun said.

"As a royal father, he was committed to the development of his people and Nigeria as he deployed his influence to foster peace and attract development to the emirate and by extension, the State as a whole. We can only hope that his colleagues will follow the good work he started.”

He noted that the royal father devoted his wealth and life to the propagation of Islam and would be would be solely missed. He prayed to Allah to grant his soul eternal rest and Aljannah Firdaus.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also added his voice; describing the late monarch as a father with whom he has had a relationship for over three decades.

In a personal tribute to Bayero, a visibly pained Atiku described the Emir as a pious, humble, upright and honest man whose integrity was unparalleled. He said that Ado Bayero was not only loyal to his people in his immediate domain, but to Nigeria and humanity at large.

Atiku noted that the death of Ado Bayero has robbed the nation of a noble crusader of unity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence. He recalled that promoting unity and tolerance was one of Bayero’s greatest and unforgettable legacies.

According to him, Nigeria had lost a crusader for peace, stability and unity at a time his services were still badly needed by the country.

He recalled the significant contributions of Ado Bayero to sustaining the unity of Nigeria during the 15th January 1966 political crisis, a role that earned him the respect of the late Dim Chukuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu. Atiku said the respect Ojukwu had for Ado Bayero, a quintessential bridge-builder, was a significant message about the role Bayero played to hold back Nigeria from the brink of disaster.

Apart from Ado Bayero’s commitment to unity, Atiku applauded the late monarch’s amazing ability to rule over a vast, complex, heterogeneous, and cosmopolitan state like Kano without losing his sanity, a quality he said was rare among average leaders.

Speaking for the Christian community in Nigeria under the auspices of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),  President of the association Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor also condoled with the Bayero family, the Kano emirate, the government and people of Kano State over the demise of the Emir, describing it as a total shock.

He said the monarch’s death is a huge loss to the nation, especially at a time when his wise counsel is most needed to help tackle the growing menace of insurgency ravaging parts of the country. He said the Emir will be remembered for his stand against terrorism even at the expense of his life and a position that endeared him to many people from far and near.

He prayed for eternal rest for the late Emir.

In its own tribute, the All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed profound shock and sadness at the death of the Emir, agreeing with CAN that his demise came at a time that his great wisdom and wealth of knowledge are much needed to help Nigeria to surmount its challenges.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the late Emir was a symbol of peace and unity in his lifetime, reaching far beyond ethnic and religious divide to help foster a united Nigeria.

Mohammed said the Emir's long and remarkable reign that spanned over half a century marked a period of prolonged peace and prosperity for his domain, which was a testimony to his much-revered leadership qualities and his uncommon humanity.

“APC commiserates with the family of the late Emir, as well as with the government and people of Kano State on the passing of such a great man, and expressed the hope that they will do everything possible to ensure that his legacy endures,” Mohammed said.

“The party prays that God will grant eternal rest to the soul of the departed, and also give those he left behind the strength to bear their huge loss.”