Edwin Clark (May 25, 1927 – February 17, 2025)

Barely four days after the demise of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, one of Afenifere’s leaders, the news broke of the death of another compatriot in the struggle for a dream Nigeria, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark. Clark died on Monday, February 17, 2025, in a hospital in Abuja at the age of 97.

Clark, a former federal commissioner of information and respected leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), was born on May 25, 1927, in Kiagbodo, Burutu local government area of Delta state. He led an illustrious life marked by dedicated service, at different times, to the nation and his community as a councillor, state and federal cabinet member. He was also a passionate resource control, economic and environmental justice advocate in the Niger Delta.

The late Clark attended primary and secondary schools at Effurun, Okrika and Afugbene before proceeding to the Government Teachers’ Training College, which later became Delta State University, Abraka. Clark was to the South-south what Maitama Sule, Ali Chiroma and Shehu Shagari combined were to the North. He had no parallel in the South-south zone; Clark was referred to as the leader towering above the likes of Tony Annenih, Michael Akhighe, John Oyegun, Samuel Ogbemudia, and Alabo Graham Douglas, among others.

He worked briefly as a school teacher before traveling abroad to earn a law degree. Clark served in various local, regional and national capacities, including being a commissioner for education, finance and establishment in the old Bendel state in the 1970s, federal commissioner for information during the civil war till 1975 when the General Yakubu Gowon’s regime was ousted.

He was elected as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1983 and until his death as the indisputable leader of the Ijaw Nation, among others. The deceased was a delegate in many of the national conferences, prominent among them were the 2005 and 2014 national conferences where he led the clamour for increased oil derivation for the South-south zone. 

The elder statesman is a father to all, and an alumnus of the Holborn College of Law, London. He was called to the Bar in England as a member of the Inner Temple and as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria over 50 years ago. Clark was not only a global asset in public leadership, but also a leader beyond boarders and a nationalist par excellence.

As the PANDEF leader, Clark became a strong advocate for power shift to the South. He played a significant role in shaping the country’s political landscape. He was a frontline activist in the country’s democratic struggle, and a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which was pivotal in the fight against military rule.

Eminent Nigerians including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have paid tributes to the late patriot. In his tribute to Clark, President Tinubu said, “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. History will remember him as a man who fought gallantly for the rights of the people of the Niger Delta, unity in diversity, and true federalism”.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said, “Over the years, Chief Clark was imbued with an undying love for his people and remained one of the more articulate and vocal champions of improved conditions for the oil-bearing states of the country. As one of the foremost leaders of not only the Ijaw people, but the South-south zone as a whole, he, until his death, exhorted his people on the imperative of peace and stability in the region.”

Former President Muhammadu Buhari described the passing of Clark as a national loss. He said his death caused him and some Nigerians deep sorrow. Calling him an “iconic statesman,” the former president said Clark was a leader dedicated to reforms, whose commitment to the development of his community and the nation would always be remembered.

Ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said, ”Our nation was still mourning the demise of exemplary statesman Pa Ayo Adebanjo, 95, when the sad news of your passing was brought to my attention. Chief Edwin Clark, 97, the Ebi-Ebekekere, Owei of Western Ijaw in Delta state, was a titan in the battlefields for independence. Above all, he was a diehard proponent of nation-building, true federalism, equity, and good governance.’

Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said aside from living a life of remarkable service to his country in various scenes, the death of Clark marked the end of the old brigade of Nigeria’s public servants. 

The PANDEF spokesperson, Dr Obiuwevbi Ominimini, said, “Pa Clark was indeed a towering figure in Nigeria for over 75 years of active public service known for his tireless advocacy for justice, equality, and human rights. His contributions to the legal profession, politics, community development, and the education sector where he founded several universities are immeasurable”.

Blueprint joins these eminent Nigerians and groups to mourn the passing of the national patriarch, a legal luminary, activist and politician, Chief Dr Edwin Clark. Although, the demise of Clark and some of his revolutionary contemporaries has left a void in the Nigeria project, we are comforted by his exemplary life as highlighted in the outpouring of eulogies by Nigerians across religious, political and regional divides. May the deceased’s soul rest in peace!