A former Speaker House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, has died in the early hours of Wednesday [today] in Abuja.
Family sources confirmed the report.
In the same vein, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has also passed away. The governor, who had been sick for over a year, died in Lagos.
Na’Abba, who was born on September 27, 1958, also fought a protracted illness until he passed away.
Na’Abba, a well-known politician in Nigeria, held the notable position of Speaker of the House from 1999 to 2003.
His health issues had previously resulted in a lengthy stay away from Nigeria due to his medical evacuation for treatment overseas. He did, however, recovered well and had returned home.
Na’Abba was a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and was elected to represent the Kano Municipal Federal Constituency in the general elections held in April 1999.
Reports say he will be buried today in Abuja according to Islamic rites.
In his own case, Governor Akeredolu reportedly died of unstated conditions that had made him inactive for many months. He was 67 years old.
Mr Akeredolu died at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday (today) at a Lagos-based German hospital where he was receiving treatment.
A family source told reporters on Wednesday that Akeredolu died in Lagos.
It was learnt that he was managed by State House doctors up to his death because they could not fly him abroad.
“Akeredolu is dead; he died in Lagos,” the source said.
The ailing governor returned to Nigeria in September following a three-month medical leave in Germany and only recently proceeded on another one after he was directed by President Bola Tinubu to hand over power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
His deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been standing in as Acting Governor.
Following his return to Nigeria in September, Akeredolu stayed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and tried to govern his state from there, leading to public outrage.
His wife, Mrs Betty Akeredolu, was the first to hint the public on the Governor’s ill health in a voice note that went viral.
She was heard in the voice note warning a member of her husband’s cabinet not to give her husband further ‘concoction.’
