The Majority Leader of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Magaji Abubakar Olawoyin, has died.
Olawoyin, who represented the Ilorin central state constituency, died early Monday morning after a brief illness at the age of 56.
This comes with less than eight weeks to go before Nigeria’s general election, in which Olawoyin was the APC candidate for the central Ilorin state constituency.
The funeral prayer and burial of the deceased will take place at 4:00 p.m. in Ilorin, the state capital.
The chairman of the House Committee on Information, Youth, Sports and Tourism, Awolola Ayokunle, confirmed Olawoyin’s death in a statement.
“It is with sadness that the Kwara State House of Assembly announces the passing of Hon. Magaji Abubakar Olawoyin, member representing the constituency of the central state of Ilorin and leader of the House. This sudden event occurred in the early hours of Monday, January 9, 2023 after a brief illness.
“Janazah will take place at 4 pm at the Magajin Geri family home, Surulere, Ilorin. May Allah rest his soul in Jannatu Firdauz ”, Ayokunle said in the statement.
Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has commiserated with the family of Abubakar Magaji Olawoyin and the Kwara State 9th House of Assembly on the death of the House Leader, describing the incident as sad and shocking.
“I sympathize with the Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, his immediate and extended family, all the people of Magaji Ngeri/Ilorin Central State Circundist. I especially send our condolences to the House whose Leader Olawoyin was until his death this morning. We will miss in him a grassroots politician, a central man of the party and a great legislator who really distinguished himself as the leader of the 9th House of Assembly.” said the Governor.
In a statement by the governor’s chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor prayed to Allah Almighty to forgive and grant Olawoyin paradise.
Furthermore, the forum of former lawmakers in the Kwara State House of Assembly have expressed their dismay at the sudden stepping down of the 9th Assembly Majority Leader.
The former lawmakers, in a statement, signed by the forum’s president and secretary, Dr. Abraham Ashaolu and Isiaka Mogaji, respectively, described Magaji’s death as shocking.
“We are saddened to receive the news of the passing of this young Nigerian, Abubakar Olawoyin Magaji, who until his death, was the Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly and Member, representing Ilorin-Central State in the House, among May, 2019 to January 9, 2023 under the platform of the Congress of All Progressives, APC “added.
The forum, however, described the deceased as a great community leader who prioritized the welfare of his people and was committed to the development of parliamentary democracy in the State in particular and the Country in general.
The forum expressed solidarity with the immediate family of the deceased, especially his wife and children.
