Nine Years After: Remembering a Visionary Leader and Honouring the Legacy of Prince Abubakar Audu
Dear Dad
It is another November 22, a day we celebrate your life and times after you submitted your life to the will of Almighty Allah in one of the most unprecedented circumstances in the history of the political landscape in Nigeria. We will forever live to remember November 22, 2015, the day after the drums of celebrations that rang following your imminent victory in the Kogi State Gubernatorial elections as Governor-elect went silent and were quickly replaced by the wailings of your beloved people following your tragic and sudden death.
Adoja Edee, as I pen down this piece from my heart, nine years after your departure from this world, I find myself enveloped in a profound sense of gratitude and admiration for your life and all you stood for. You were not only my father but a remarkable statesman, a visionary politician, who laid a solid foundation for Kogites, with legacies that you will forever be remembered for in àné Igala, Kogi State and the country at large.
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With every sense of responsibility and duty, my heart is crammed with joy in seeing how your vision have blossomed for the betterment of our dear state, Kogi and Nigeria at large. The country is currently undergoing a tough but necessary and unprecedented transformation under the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), “Renewed Hope” Agenda birthed and championed by your own dear brother and friend, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, with whom you both shared a vision for a new and greater Nigeria. I have no doubt that Mr President’s ongoing policies and bold reforms will transform Nigeria into an African and global economic powerhouse in the near future.
My father, a giant amongst men, was a beacon of hope and progress for the hopeless in Kogi State, a political gladiator, and a true Nationalist. Your predecessors have not fallen short of your dream for Kogi State, building on your transformative initiatives that laid the groundwork for sustainable development.
You will forever be remembered as an icon who championed initiatives that transformed Kogi State; institutions of learning like the Kogi State University, Anyigba, (now Prince Abubakar Audu University); Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja; College of Education, Ankpa, which have all already produced great leaders of today, as well as health institutions, such as the Eye Specialist Hospital in Ogbonicha and other state-of-the-art infrastructures you brought to the state including the Commissioners Quarters and the House of Assembly Complex both in Lokoja to mention a few.
Beyond your political accomplishments, you were a man of principle, integrity, and compassion, with the uncanny ability to connect with people from all walks of life, which helped shape and prepare me for service to country under the leadership of President Tinubu.
As we commemorate your life almost a decade after you left us, we reflect on your leadership, which was characterised by unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and the notion that governance is not a privilege but a responsibility to the people. Though you are no longer physically present, your spirit lives on in the hearts of Kogites and Nigerians. Continue to Rest in Peace, Daddy.
Your Son
Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu
Honourable Minister of Steel Development
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
On Behalf of the Audu Family.
November 22, 2024.
