President Bola Tinubu has expressed condolences to the Kano State House of Assembly, the families and constituents of two lawmakers who died within hours of each other on Wednesday.
The deceased legislators are Aminu Ungogo, who represented Ungogo constituency, and Aliyu Daneji, who represented Kano Municipal constituency. Their deaths, which occurred in separate incidents about one hour apart, have drawn reactions from political leaders and residents of the state.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President described the development as “sad, tragic and painful”, noting that it had created a gap in representation for the affected constituencies.
According to the statement, Tinubu said the passing of the two lawmakers had deprived their communities of dedicated representatives in the state legislature.
“I offer my condolences to their families and constituents as well as the government and people of Kano State,” the President said.
“I also commiserate with the presiding officers and all members of the Kano State House of Assembly over the demise of their respected colleagues.”
The President also offered prayers for the late lawmakers and their families. “The President prayed for the repose of the souls of the late lawmakers and divine comfort to their families,” the statement added.
The deaths have put the Kano State House of Assembly in mourning, with colleagues and political actors expressing shock over the losses. Discussions continued on Thursday regarding the circumstances surrounding the deaths, while messages of sympathy kept coming from across the state.
Meanwhile, the Northern States Governors’ Forum has expressed condolences to the Kano State Government and House of Assembly following the deaths of two serving lawmakers, Aminu Ungogo and Sarki Daneji, who died within hours of each other on Wednesday.
The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Yahaya, conveyed the message in a statement, saying the deaths had brought grief to the political leadership and people of Kano State. He extended sympathies to Governor Abba Yusuf, the leadership and members of the Kano State House of Assembly, as well as the families, colleagues and constituents of the deceased legislators.
Yahaya described the development as “a painful loss to Kano State and democratic governance”, noting that both lawmakers had served with “commitment, dedication and a strong sense of responsibility”.
He said, “On behalf of my colleagues in the Northern States Governors’ Forum, I express our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Kano State, particularly Governor Abba Yusuf, the leadership and members of the House of Assembly, as well as the families and constituents of the deceased lawmakers.”
The governor also offered prayers for the late legislators, asking that Almighty Allah forgive their shortcomings and grant them Aljannatul Firdaus. He further prayed for strength and comfort for their families, colleagues and the people of Kano State.
Aminu Ungogo, who represented the Ungogo constituency and served as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, reportedly collapsed at the assembly complex after a brief illness and was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
About an hour later, Sarki Daneji, who represented the Kano Municipal constituency, was also reported dead, throwing the state legislature into mourning and prompting an outpouring of condolences from political leaders across the North.
