From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has called on the federal government to immortalise the late former governor of Lagos State, Lateef Jakande, who died recently at the age of 91, through what it described as ‘appropriate and befitting monuments, this exceptional Nigerian, who exemplified the ideal leader of our time.’
ADP National Chairman Yabaji Sani, in his condolence message, described the late politician as ‘a colossus, an unassuming genius, a bridge-builder, a humanist and quintessential patriot who believed and worked for the unity and oneness of Nigeria.
‘Alhaji Jakande was an Awoist who single-mindedly believed in the entire gamut of the philosophy of the sage, the great Chief Obafemi Awolowo without pretences, unlike many self-acclaimed Awoists.’
Sani added: ‘ADP joins the multitude of Nigerians in all parts of the country and beyond, friends of Nigeria and progressives in countries of the world in mourning the passage of our iconic, progressive and patriotic Alhaji Lateef K. Jakande.
‘To us in the ADP however, that political ‘missteps’ should not be allowed to becloud LKJ’s landmarks that today stand him out as the greatest governor of Lagos State who laid the foundation on which latter-day administrators built upon.
‘Not the much celebrated and orchestrated tenures of his successors who became inexplicably stupendously rich after their tenure as governors of Lagos State can compare to the indelible footprints of Jakande in the sands of time.’