From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja, Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti, Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

President Muhammadu Buhari, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have expressed sadness over the death of former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sen. Jubril Martins-Kuye.

The Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State-born former minister passed away yesterday morning at the age of 78.

President Buhari, in a statement by Femi Adesina, said third republic legislator and minister of state, finance and commerce and industry, would be sorely missed for his insight on issues of development, particularly in tailoring budgets that reflected needs of the people, with his emphasis on full implementation.

Ogun governor, Dapo Abiodun, said the demise of the former minister marks the end of an era and significantly underscores the depletion of the rank of elder statesmen, men of faith and progressive politicians in the country.

A statement issued in Abeokuta by his media aide, Kunle Somorin, quoted the governor as saying: “I have personally lost a great pillar of support, who offered useful advice to advance my political career

“I am yet to come to terms with the passage of Senator Jubril Martin-Kuye, because this is one death that inflicts not just a deep pain, but one that will linger for long, and a loss of immeasurable proportion for me as a person, to his immediate and extended families as well as the political establishment he belonged.”

Also, the PDP in the South-West described the death of former minister of commerce and industry as a loss to the party and the country as a whole.

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The party, in a statement by Lere Olayinka, said: “The death of Senator Jibrin Martins-Kuye has deprived the PDP of one of its strongest pillars and greatest Iroko trees in its political forest.”

The PDP implored its members, especially those in Ogun State and the Martins-Kuye’s family, to take solace in the fact that the deceased contributed his quotas to the development of the party and Nigeria as a whole.

“The death of Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye is no doubt a loss to us in the South-West PDP and we will continue to pray, trusting that God in His infinite mercies will grant his soul eternal rest.

“We urge our members and supporters, especially those in Ogun State, to be consoled by the fact that he lived a fulfilled life worthy of emulation to the future generations of Nigerians.”

Similarly, the APC, Ogun State chapter, described his death as the passing away of one of Ogun’s finest politicians.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta by the Publicity Secretary of Ogun APC Caretaker Committee, Tunde Oladunjoye, the late politician was described as an “uncommon bridge builder, patriot and a very humane, courteous and humble politician whose model was politics without bitterness.”

The statement reads futher: “Either as a federal minister or as a  Senator of the Federal Republic, Pa Martins Kuye gave a very good account of himself as an accessible community leader, grassroots mobiliser, moulder of  people and builder of bridges. He was renowned for his propounded principle of ‘salt solution’, which abhorred sectarian tendencies within political party formation.”