Clark: Tinubu, Obasanjo, Akpabio, govs pay tributes

• His death deeply sobering loss – President

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday said he was saddened by the death of Chief Edwin Clark and extended his condolences to the family, the Ijaw nation, the people of the Niger Delta and the government of Delta.

“President Tinubu mourns Chief Clark and describes his passing as a deeply sobering loss,” Mr Bayo Onanuga, his Spokesman, said in a statement.

Reflecting on the life of the late elder statesman, Tinubu said that he was a towering figure whose influence was felt across Nigeria’s political firmament for nearly six decades.

He described Clark as a courageous leader who stood for what he believed in and was never afraid to stand alone in the face of injustice.

”Chief Clark spoke for the Niger Delta. He spoke for the nation. His views and interventions on national issues were distinct and patriotic.

”Pa Clark, a lawyer and educationist, believed in a united Nigeria, and until his last breath, he never stopped reaching out to people from different parts of the country to work together to preserve national unity based on justice and equity. As an astute politician, his political opponents never doubted his words’ weight, confidence and conviction when he spoke. Indeed, a patriot has transitioned to the great beyond,” he said.

According to the president, history will remember Clark as a man who fought gallantly for the rights of the people of the Niger Delta, unity in diversity and true federalism.

”I know many generations will remain proud of his contributions to national prosperity and stability.”

Tinubu prayed for divine comfort for the Clark family, friends and all those affected by his significant death.