•Dogara, Babangida Aliyu pay tribute
From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja and John Adams, Minna
The political landscape of Niger State was, yesterday evening, thrown into mourning when news of the death of third civilian governor of the state, Engineer Abdulkhadir Abdullahi Kure hit town.
Kure was said to have died at the age of 60, in Germany, in the afternoon of Sunday, January 8, where he was flown to, three weeks ago, for medical attention.
According to the former governor’s ex-Chief Press Secretary, Muhamud Abdullahi, who confirmed his death, said Kure was taken to Germany for kidney related sickness and has been in the hospital in the last three weeks.
Abdullahi said arrangements are already being made by the family to bring the remains of the former governor to the country for burial.
Born on February 26, 1956, late governor kure is survived by wife Senator Zaynab Kure, 6 children, made up of four boys and two girls.
He was the director of Engineering Services in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before joining politics in 1998, where he contested for the governorship of Niger state.
Late Kure was a foundation member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and became governor for two terms between 1999-2011.
After leaving office, Kure became a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), a position he held until his death. Kure was a member of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction of the PDP.
A devastated state chairman of the PDP Alhaji Tanko Beji described the incident “as sad” but quickly added that, “we cannot query God,” Beji said the late governor contributed immensely to the socio -political development of Niger state and Nigeria as a whole.
His last political engagement in the state was his meeting with some PDP stakeholders from zone c senatorial district of the state where he assured them that the zone will produce the next governor under the party zoning arrangement.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara has commiserated with the people and government of Nigeria state over the death of former Governor Abdulkadir Kure.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan yesterday, the speaker said the former governor’s death was a big loss.
His successor, Chief Servant Babangida Aliyu equally expressed shock at Kure’s death. “ I find it difficult to come to terms with the reality that my brother, my friend, has left us so soon. I have been in touch with his wife since he travelled outside the country for treatment. I never knew his time was near.”
“Niger state has lost an illustrious son, Nigeria has indeed lost a great human asset. He was a peacemaker, a role model and a bridge builder.