A former deputy president of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, has died at the age of 74.
Family sources said Mr Mantu died at a private hospital in Abuja in the early hours of Tuesday after falling ill nine days ago.
The late politician was elected twice on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 1999 to represent Plateau Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
He was famous for spearheading the tenure extension agenda of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, infamously dubbed Third Term.
In the botched Third Republic, the late senator was the Director-General of the Defunct National Republican Convention, NRC Presidential campaign 1993; National Chairman, defunct Peoples Democratic Alliance, and National Publicity Secretary of defunct United Nigeria Congress Party.
Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, in his condolence message said Mr Mantu’s death as was a great loss to the state and Nigeria at large.
“Late Senator Nasiru Mantu was a grassroots politician whose life was all about the interest of the people as he did everything within his power to serve them through empowerment and quality representation,” the governor was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his spokesman, Makut Simon Macham.
“He earned his place in Nigerian politics by active involvement and also had a great connection with the youth whom he mentored not only in politics, but in other fields, especially service to humanity.”
Until his death, Mr Lalong explained that the deceased availed the state government of his wealth of experience and knowledge in running the affairs of the people.
He lamented that the state will miss “the voice of peace and unity as well as an advocate of social cohesion and tolerance which the late Deputy Senate represented particularly during the trying moments of its history.”
