Daily Trust Sunday

Osinbajo, Atiku, Clark, others eulogize icon

- By Abubakar Adam Ibrahim

The Late Danmasanin Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, foremost politician, orator and Nigeria’s representa­tive to the United Nations has been immortaliz­ed in a new biography, The Genius Orator, written by Chike Okolocha.

At the book launch Thursday at Abuja’s Internatio­nal Conference Centre, the late Maitama Sule was eulogized by prominent Nigerians, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former vice presidents Atiku Abubakar and Alex Ekweume as well as Chief Edwin Clark among others.

In his address, Vice President Osinbajo said, “Maitama’s gifts is not his oratory but in the character behind that gift,” saying that many people have used their oratorical skills to cause division and hate, whereas the late politician, who he described as a great person, used his skills to promote love and national unity.

He also praised Maitama’s self-sacrifice for the collective good, saying, “Any man who can walk away from the presidenti­al nomination of a major political party when he had a very good chance of winning is a truly exceptiona­l person,” Osinbajo said.

He concluded by saying that, “Nigeria is richer for his having lived and served among us and the poorer for his loss.”

Speaking earlier, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the event was emotional for him because Maitama was not alive to witness it.

“I am feeling sad and lonely that Maitama is not around to witness

 ??  ?? From left: Former President Court of Appeal, Justice Mamman Nasir; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, at the unveiling of a book on the...
From left: Former President Court of Appeal, Justice Mamman Nasir; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, at the unveiling of a book on the...

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