By Emeka Okafor
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori, on Thursday paid glowing tributes to former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who died 12 years ago as Nigerian President.
Both leaders described the former President as a gentle man who left lasting legacies before death snatched him as the country’s President.
Yar’Adua was the Nigerian President from 2007 to 2010 before he died of an illness on May 5, 2010.
The late President was responsible for restoring peace to once restive oil-rich Niger Delta region through the presidential pardon for militants in the region.
Following his death, he was succeeded by Jonathan, who was then his deputy, to complete their four years term.
But paying tribute to late Yar-Adua’ Jonathan described his former boss as a selfless leader and a peacemaker.
Jonathan in a statement on Thursday titled, ‘President Yar’adua: 12 years after’, the former President described his predecessor as a patriot and a man who governed Nigeria with all sincerity.
According to him, the late former President was a “servant leader and a good man”, who is hard to find.
“Twelve years ago, our nation lost a patriot, a selfless leader and a peacemaker who governed with sincerity and passion for the people. President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua is no longer with us today, but his strides in public life continue to testify for him and keep his memory alive.
“Like a good athlete, he ran with passion, kept the faith and finished the race. Today we can look back and say, as President he won laurels for us in terms of peace and other worthy causes he successfully pursued.
“He was a soldier of truth, committed to justice, equity and other democratic virtues. He was a servant leader and a good man; the type that is hard to find. He was my boss.
“President Yar’Adua, we remember you today and will continue to remember the good works that you did in our nation. Yours is a story of patriotism, a life well-lived in service to the people and humanity”, he wrote.
On his part, former Governor Ibori, who was a strong ally of Yar’Adua, described the late President as a gentlemen leader.
Ibori, in a message on his verified Instagram handle, wrote “Gentlemen Leader, your legacies will forever endure. Sleep well my dear friend.”
