- He will always be remembered for his great wisdom and competence –Jonathan
- Atiku says he has lost a father
The Emir of Kano, Ado Abdullahi Bayero has died. He died early on Friday in Kano after suffering a stroke attack according to family sources.
He will be buried today according to Islamic rites.
Vice President Namadi Sambo is expected to lead the Federal Government delegation at the burial.
Already, the city of Kano has been besieged by dignitaries from all over the country.
Kano State Governor, Musa Kwankwaso, who was attending the 4th retreat of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) going on in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, left the venue for Kano after the news was broken to him via a phone call.
Born 83 years ago, on July 25, 1930, Bayero, a former Nigerian ambassador to Senegal, was appointed Emir on October 22, 1963 at the age of 33. His father, Abdullahi Bayero, also reigned as Emir for 27 years.
Considered the second most important Muslim in Nigeria, Bayero survived an attack by gunmen believed to be members of the Boko Haram insurgent group on January 19, 2013.
His driver and his orderly died in the attack.
The gunmen laid ambush on the convoy of the Emir around the Zoo Road when he was returning from the Murtala Mosque in the city where he had gone to attend a Quranic recitation competition.
He subsequently travelled to London for medical treatment.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday announced that he received with immense sadness and a deep feeling of great national loss, news of the passing away of the highly revered emir.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati,
On behalf of himself, his family, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria, Jonathan commiserates with the emir’s family and all the people of Kano over whom the departed Bayero presided illustriously as traditional ruler for more than half a century.
The President, the statement says “joins them in mourning the monarch whose uncommon leadership qualities and evident faith in the peace, unity, progress, and prosperity of Nigeria combined to make him one of the most respected traditional rulers in the country during his long and very successful reign.
“President Jonathan believes that Alhaji Ado Bayero will always be remembered and honoured by the people of Kano and all Nigerians for his immense wisdom and competence as a traditional ruler, as well as for using his exalted throne to build bridges of unity, friendship and harmony across the nation.”
The President reaffirmed his declaration on the occasion of the Emir’s 50th anniversary celebrations last year that the late Alhaji Ado Bayero was one of the most decent and respectable Nigerians he has had the privilege of interacting with, and he will always treasure pleasant memories of their last meeting earlier this year.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said that he has lost a father with the passage of Bayero.
In a personal tribute to Ado Bayero, the former vice president said that his relationship with the late emir was of a father and his favourite son spanning over three decades.
He said that Ado Bayero was not only loyal to his people in his immediate domain, but to Nigeria and humanity at large.
According to Atiku, Bayero was a pious, humble, upright and honest man whose integrity was unparalleled.
Atiku noted that the death of Ado Bayero has robbed the nation of a noble crusader of unity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence.
The former vice president condoled with the family, the people and the government of Kano State over the death of Bayero.
