The former deputy senate president, Ibrahim Mantu, dies at age 74.
He died in a private hospital in Abuja in the early hours of Tuesday after falling ill nine days ago.
The deceased was elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 to represent Plateau Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
He gathered political relevance in national politics after emerging as the Deputy Senate President in 1999, a position he held for eight years.
Before his demise, Mantu was a member of the PDP Board of Trustees.
He equally served in many capacities, including the Director-General of the Defunct National Republican Convention, Presidential campaign 1993; National Chairman, defunct Peoples Democratic Alliance, and National Publicity Secretary defunct United Nigeria Congress Party.
Meanwhile, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, has mourned the former deputy senate president, describing the death as a great loss to the state and Nigeria at large.
Lalong said he received the news of the demise of the elder statesman and erudite politician with a heavy heart, recalling his enormous contributions to the socio-political development of the state and the nation at large.
“Late Senator Nasiru Mantu was a grassroots politician whose life was all about the interest of the people as he did everything within his power to serve them through empowerment and quality representation,” the governor was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his spokesman, Makut Simon Macham.
“He earned his place in Nigerian politics by active involvement and also had a great connection with the youth whom he mentored not only in politics but in other fields, especially service to humanity.”
Until his death, Governor Lalong explained that the deceased availed the state government of his wealth of experience and knowledge in running the affairs of the people.
He said that the state will miss “the voice of peace and unity as well as an advocate of social cohesion and tolerance which the late Deputy Senate represented particularly during the trying moments of its history.”
Also, the Niger State Governor and Chairman North Central States Governor’s Forum (NCSGF), Abubakar Sani Bello sent a condolence message to the Plateau State government over the death of Mantu.
He described the death of Senator Mantu as a huge loss to the entire country and also called him an astute politician, a realist whose selflessness and foresight had injected dynamism in the nation’s nascent democracy noting that his absence will greatly be missed.
Governor Sani in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mary Noel-Berje said: “We are really touched by the news of the demise of the former Deputy Senate President, indeed he was one Nigerian, a true democrat who genuinely believe in the unity, indivisibility and corporate existence of the country”.
The Governor stated that, although saddened by the loss, it was incumbent on all humans to acknowledge the inevitability of death stressing that late Senator Ibrahim Mantu will continue to be remembered for his service to humanity.
While condoling his Plateau State counterpart, Simon Lalong and the immediate family of the deceased, Governo Sani Bello prayed Allah to grant his soul eternal rest and reward him with Jannatul Firdausi.
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