Na’Ábba, who served as the eighth Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, died in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja at the age of 65.
The Senate President, in a condolence message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, said it was saddening for the nation to lose Na’Abba at this time in its history.
The statement read, “On behalf of my family and the entire National Assembly, it is with intense sadness that I received the news of the shocking death of the second speaker of the House of Representatives of the 4th Republic, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Ábba, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, December 27, 2023, in Abuja.”
He described the former speaker as a patriot, selfless politician, and true democrat who sacrificed his ambition by repelling dictatorship and instituting the independence of the Legislature.
“I am indeed saddened at the news of the death of Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, a patriot, a true democrat, a courageous and selfless politician, who staked his exalted position in the fight against dictatorship to preserve the independence of the Legislature and foster national development.
“I must say the mutual respect and understanding that exists between the Legislature and the Executive today is a direct product of the laudable antecedents of great leaders such as Na’Abba who sacrificed to institute genuine representative democracy in the country,” the statement read.
Akpabio recalled “with nostalgia how Rt. Hon. Na’Abba stood like the great wall of Gibraltar against the excesses of the Executive to give the Nigerian electorates value for their votes by ensuring that the right things were done to keep our democracy afloat.”
The Senate President noted that “at the National Assembly and in fact, all Nigerians of goodwill and advocates of true democratic ethos” hold Na’Abba in high esteem and will always remember that he was “one politician who practiced” what he preached.
“As you transit to the next world, I pray that Allah will have mercy on your soul and grant you Aljannah Firdaus. Rest on Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba,” he stated.
