Buhari Writes, Calls Akande over Wife’s Death

• Osinbajo, Tinubu, Ajimobi, Amosun, others storm Osun to bid Akande’s wife farewell
• Acting president, Aregbesola sue for peaceful co-existence in Nigeria

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his heart-felt sadness over the death of Mrs. Sikirat Omowumi Akande, wife of the former interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande.

Mrs. Akande died at the age of 73 last Tuesday at a government hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State.

A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said Buhari wrote Akande a letter of condolence after an earlier telephone call to him thursday.

The statement said Buhari described the loss of Akande’s wife of over 50 years as “irreparable.”
The content of the letter as presented by Shehu, read: “I received the very sad news of the death of your dearly beloved wife, Madam Omowunmi Akande this morning. I am following our phone call with this letter of condolence, which comes from my heart.

“To lose a wife, a dear wife after 50 years, a constant and loving companion through good and bad times, is a blow only a man of unshakeable faith can withstand. Please extend my personal condolences to the immediate and wider Akande family and to friends of the family for this irreparable loss.

“May Allah give you the strength and Iman to endure her passing away.”
Meanwhile, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday led dignitaries to Ila-Orangun, Osun State when the remains of Mrs. Akande were interred.

Four of the South-west governors such as Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, and Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, alongside were also present to honour the Akande family.

Others in attendance were the national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Segun Oni; former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Iyiola Oladokun; national and state legislators, former Inspector General of Police (IG), Chief Tafa Balogun and captains of industries.

In their separate remarks at the occasion, Osinbajo and Aregbesola sued for continued unity and peaceful coexistence of Nigerians.

The duo hailed the deceased, Mrs. Akande for spending her entire life to the service of God and humanity.
In his words, the acting president said the APC-led federal government has provided an inclusive leadership aimed at promoting the unity in diversity of Nigeria.

He said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has demonstrated high sense of commitment in sustaining the unity and togetherness of Nigerians.

He called on Nigerians to support the policies of the present administration, a move which according to him, is being designed to rescue the country out of her predicaments.

Osinbajo who represented his boss, Buhari, warned Nigerians against any divisive tendency that can truncate peace and glorify chaos, saying it was time for all to derived comfort in the nation’s diversity.
According to him, the leadership that has been provided by the APC is not just a political leadership, rather an inclusive and visionary leadership that meant well for all.

“It has become pertinent on us as Nigerians to do all we could to sustain the peaceful coexistence of Nigeria and as well, maintain the principle of unity, peace and togetherness.

“I want to urge every Nigerian to support the unity that we stand for. Unity across this country means a lot to our collective existence.

“We want to encourage each and everyone of us to champion peace. There can be no division in Nigeria. With no division, no separation, this country is great. This country is great because all of us are here for one Nigeria.
“Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, everyone of us had made this country great. I want to encourage every Nigerian whenever they may be that we must stand together, we must be united.

“We must stand together. And I want to say that the message that the president continues to repeat every time is that the reason why people like these remain self proposing is because they believe in one Nigeria,” Osibajo said.
He commended the former Governor of Lagos State, Tinubu, for being supportive to the present administration.
“You don’t need to talk about Nigeria’s unity when you can demonstrate it by practical acts and he, Tinubu, has always demonstrated it practically.

“I strongly believe that what APC has to offer has been offered in maintaining peace and stability of Nigeria. I strongly believe that the reason why people have always supported us is because of the leaders they have been seen around us, he said.

Describing the deceased as a rare gem, Osinbajo said: “We thank God that mama lived a life worthy of emulation. We thank God that she lived a life that we can remember with joy, a life that we can remember with thanksgiving.
“We thank God that mama lived a life of loyalty to her husband. Loyalty to her country and with those legacies that she has left behind is a testimony of our gathering here today.

“We are here to celebrate a great woman. We all know that mama was a strong pillar for our leader, Chief Adebisi Akande.”

Corroborating the acting president, Aregbesola said the peaceful coexistence of Nigeria remains non-negotiable.
He called on Nigerians to see the unity of Nigeria as the duty of all, just as he warned against acts that could terminate the already built peace in the country.

Aregbesola who described the deceased as a woman of many parts, said the nation has lost a great asset.
He implored Chief Akande, the children of the deceased and other bereaved to take solace in the peaceful transition of the deceased to glorious home.

In his lecture, the guest lecturer, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammed Kewuyemi, charged Nigerian leaders on the need to imbibe the spirit of good governance, responsible and responsive leadership in all they do.

Kewuyemi who described death as inevitable on every mortal, said it behooves on every being to always be conscious of end time as every soul would definitely taste death.

He called on Nigerians especially those at the helms of affairs to always use their positions to effect positivity in the lives of the people, saying leadership is all about responsibility to humanity.

Kewuyemi reminded Nigerians to always be conscious of the day of judgment in all their steps on earth, saying every soul would be judged according to his or her deeds on earth.

While commending the deceased for living a worthwhile life, Kewulere called on the people to emulate the legacies laid by the deceased.