Ekwueme Exhibited Uncommon Political Selflessness – Ekweremadu
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has stated that the late former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, exhibited uncommon political selflessness, equanimity, and sportsmanship at a critical point in Nigeria’s quest for democratic rule.
In his tribute to Ekwueme, the deputy senate president argued that not many Nigerians would lose the presidential ticket of a political party they laboured so hard to build and keep their cool.
Ekweremadu stated that many Nigerians had expected Ekwueme to bring down the roof over his loss of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket, but the former Vice President instead congratulated Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and worked for his success at the polls.
According to the deputy senate president, Ekwueme also remained a loyal party man till death, thus establishing himself as a lesson in politics without bitterness.
He described Ekwueme as a highly detribalised Nigerian, who mastered the art of love for the country, stressing that Ekwueme also mastered the art of politics with local flavour.
“You stood by your people during their most challenging and difficult times, the civil war, offering your undiluted professional service in the design and development of access to the air for Ndigbo,” Ekweremadu said.
“History will be kind to you for your bravery in rallying the G-34 to challenge the military hegemony over Nigeria and join forces with other pro-democracy activists to enthrone the democracy we enjoy today,” he added.
Ekweremadu added that Ekwueme was an erudite scholar, a deep and cerebral political thinker, who saw tomorrow.
“You foresaw the many challenges and setbacks faced by the nation today. Unfortunately, your timely suggestions such as restructuring, single term, and rotational presidency are yet to be heeded to save Nigeria from the social, economic, and political mires. Your farsightedness underlines the words of our fathers that what an elder sees sitting down, the child may never fathom even if such a child perches on the peak of the Iroko tree. This nation, therefore, owes it to your memory to restructure Nigeria in order to build a nation you and other sages past dreamt of,” Ekweremadu explained.
