The year 2015 has been quite an eventful one for Nigerians and most especially politicians.
While the year marked the beginning of a new era for some Nigerian politicians with the various elections, sadly, it also marked the end of the political journeys and lives of a couple of top prominent politicians. Death, they say is inevitable but the deaths of these prominent politicians came as a great shock!
About two of these deaths came as a great shock to every Nigerian not because they were top politicians but because they were at the verge of making things happen. Naij.com has compiled a list of some prominent and not-so-prominent political figures who were carried away by the tide of 2015 ocean.
1. Audu Abubakar
Former Kogi state governor, Abubakar Audu, before his demise
To some, the death of Audu Abubakar, the All Progressives Congress’ gubernatorial candidate in Kogi, is still some sort of a dream.
Quite a lot of people cannot still figure out how a man will die just at the verge of his victory; thus, making his crowd of supporters wail instead of dancing to the song of victory with him.
68-year-old Audu had thrice tried to go back to the government house in his hometown after occupying it twice. He was relentless and determined to go back to the coveted position. This made him jump in when the need came during primaries which he emerged the winner in his party.
But the inevitable came, just on the day of his victory! While some relatives claimed he was poisoned, some said he had a heart attack. He died Npvember 22, 2015.
2. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
Former Bayelsa governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was reported to have died of cardiac arrest at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital on October 10, 2015. However, in a later interview, Bayelsa state information commissioner, Esueme Kikile, revealed that the former governor “died of complications arising from high blood pressure and diabetes which affected his kidney”.
When the sudden story of the demise of Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, hit the news stream, there were many unclear circumstances. Nigerians were also divided over the news. Some mourned the late governor and tagged his death as a ‘great loss for Bayelsa’, while others expressed disbelief, recalled the fact that Alamieyeseighafaced extradition to the UK.
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was born November 16 1952 in Amassoma, Ogboin North Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenagoa. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, then joined the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply. He held various air force positions in Enugu, Makurdi, Kaduna and Ikeja. Alamieyeseigha retired from the air force in 1992 as a Squadron Leader.
3. Zannah Mustapha
On August 15, 2015, Borno people lost their deputy governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha. A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Usman Jidda Shuwa, revealed that the deputy governor died in his sleep Saturday morning while visiting Yola, the Adamawa state capital, to attend the convocation ceremony of Modibbo Adama University of Science and Technology, in the city.
Mustapha reportedly spent the better part of his last two weeks in Adamawa state where he has been receiving victims of Boko Haram crisis who relocated to Cameroon.
4. Oronto Douglas
Oronto Douglas
Former president Goodluck Jonathan’s top aide, Oronto Douglas, died April 9, 2015 at age 49. The Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Research, Documentation and Strategy died at the State House clinic at 4:58 a.m. Thursday from cancer related complications. The presidential adviser is said to have managed a terminal illness for sometime, and had, from time to time, sought medical treatment abroad for prolonged periods.
Douglas is regularly described as one of Jonathan’s most brilliant and influential aides, documenting the President’s achievements and legacies, and helping coordinate parallel media and campaign strategies for the presidency.
5. HID Awolowo
HID Awolowo
Chief Hannah Dideolu Awolowo died shortly after a meeting with her family members, at the age of 99, just a few weeks before her 100th birthday. The matriarch of the Awolowo family was said to have been a part of the meeting for the planning of her 100th birthday before she kicked the bucket.
She died on September 19. She was married to one of Nigeria’s foremost politicians, Obafemi Awolowo and she was the chairman of Nigeria’s foremost newspaper, Nigerian Tribune.
6. Adebowale Adefuye
Nigerian historian and diplomat, Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye died of heart attack on August 27, 2015 in Washington DC. Prior to his death, he was Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States.
He was named the Ambassador to Jamaica in 1987, serving until 1991. During that period, Adefuye also concurrently served as the ambassador to Belize and Haiti. He was then the Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Adefuye left that post to serve as the deputy director of the Commonwealth of Nations for fourteen years. After leaving the Commonwealth, he became an advisor to the Economic Community of West African States in 2008. President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Adefuye the ambassador to the United States in 2010. During his tenure, Adefuye continually advocated for the United States to provide more military aid to Nigeria to effectively counter the forces of Boko Haram. He was recalled in 2015 after Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as president of Nigeria.
May their souls rest in perfect peace!
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