The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Tuesday, disclosed that he was saddened by the death of the party’s promising lawmaker, Ekene Abubakar Adams.
Until his demise, Adams was a member of the House of Representatives representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency in Kaduna State.
The chairman of the House Committee on Sports died in the early hours of Tuesday at the age of 39.
In a condolence statement issued in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, the party’s chair said the news of his death came to him as a rude shock.
According to him, Adams spoke truth to power and invested heavily in his constituency in his first year in office signalling that he was in the House of Representatives for serious business.
He said, “We have interacted very closely and was one lawmaker who spoke truth to power even at his young impressionable age. Though he was barely one year in office, his impact on the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency and the entire Kaduna state was huge. Just a few months ago, he donated transformers, cars and motorcycles to communities and individuals and also empowered all the ward chairmen and several women from his constituency across political divides with huge sums of money.
“This philanthropic gesture, he told me, was in fulfilment of his campaign promises. On the floor of the National Assembly, he was a notable voice and had defended the voiceless through his motions. He also made invaluable contributions to the party and offered great counsel to me on party affairs.
“On behalf of the leadership and the entire members of the party who have been mourning this great personality we offer our condolences to his immediate family, constituency, Kaduna State government and the nation over this painful demise. We pray that God will give all of us the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. May his soul rest on the bosom of the Lord.”
Meanwhile, the 2023 presidential flagbearer of the party, Peter Obi, in a statement on Tuesday via X also mourned the loss if the lawmaker.
Obi wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Ekene Abubakar Adams, a member of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives from Kaduna State. On behalf of our Party and the Obidient family worldwide, our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, family and loved ones.
“His untimely death at the age of 39 is a tragic loss to the nation. It is in addition a blow to the much needed youth input into our political space as a nation. This tragic loss has come at a time when there is a nationwide clamour for increased youth participation in our political leadership.
Obi noted that as Chairman of the House Committee on Sports and Representative of the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, in his short tenure, made significant contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria.
“His passion and expertise in this field will be greatly missed by the nation at large. May God Almighty who called him home at this time, forgive his sins and grant him eternal rest, and grant his family and all of us the fortitude to bear his very sad irreplaceable loss.
“May God Almighty protect and bless his family always,” Obi added.