Shagari lived nobly, died in nobility – Obasanjo

Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday paid glowing tributes to former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari who died on Friday describing him as humble, patriotic, amiable and notable Nigerian leader.

In a condolence letter addressed to Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Obasanjo noted that Shagari who took over the reins of power from him (Obasanjo) under a democratic process in 1979 “lived nobly and died in nobility.”

A copy of the letter, made available to our correspondent in Abeokuta on Saturday by Obasanjo’s Spokesman, Kehinde Akinyemi, further eulogized Shagari’s roles in the country’s pre and post-Independence politics.

Obasanjo submitted that Shagari died at a time Nigeria is in dire need of “such leadership, experience and wisdom to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing the nation.”

The letter read in parts: “President Shehu Shagari was a man of honour and an achiever. In all his national assignments, he was forthright, dedicated and showed great commitment in the discharge of his duties. He was a unifying force for the nation and his contribution to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria cannot easily be forgotten. In all situations, he lived nobly and he died in nobility.”