By Onyebuchi Ezigbo
It was a sad moment as some political parties’ leaders paid a condolence visit to the family home of late National chairman of Labour Party, (LP,), Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam in the Gwarimpa area of the Federal capital Territory, FCT.
The party leaders operating under the umbrella of Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPAC were led by its Acting President, Chief Okey Ralph Nwosu to commiserate with the immediate family of the LP chairman over the unfortunate incident.
Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam who was a key member of opposition coalition died in his Abuja residence on December 29, 2020. His demise took his political associates, friends and followers by surprise since he showed no sign of illness before his death.
AbdulSalam was the traditional title holder of Baraden Paiko was a renowned trade unionist before joining politics. He served as State Chairman of Niger State teachers union. A former principal he was the National Secretary of National union of local Government workers for about 25 years. He also served as the National Secretary of Labour Party before he became the National chairman in 2015.
The IPAC members who took their turns to address the widow of the late politician, Hajia Abdulsalam, and fist son, Dnajuma, collectively pledged to forge on with the political ideal and belief to birth a new Nigeria devoid of religious and political acrimony.
Most of the speakers were almost overwhelmed by grief and emotion as they delivered their condolence messages.
His ally, the immediate past President of IPAC, High Chief Peter Ojongwa Ameh, betrayed his emotion and others followed suit in shedding tears.
Ameh described the late Labour Party Chairman as highly detribalised Nigerian who always stood for the good of the country.
“He was as great man. He did not create any divide between the South, the North or the West. He believed in one Nigeria. He was a man that today; my mind is filled with joy for because all his colleagues and friends you go to will talk good of him,” he said.
In his remarks, the Acting National President of IPAC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, said, we are all party leaders but we have a leader of leaders. And that was who Abdulsalam was. He was a leader of all leaders as far as political parties was concerned.
Nwosu, who is also the National chairman of African Democratic Congress, ADC, said, : We all loved him because he was a very detribalized person. He believed in the unity of this country. He didn’t even speak it, he did it. At times, the political zones would always be divided in Nigeria, divided along religious line but will analyze the issue and then say no, this is where it ought to be.
“Where it favours this person or it favours others, we must be with Nigeria. And that is why all of us loved him. We loved him with all our hearts because he was real good Nigerian.
“Before this, we were working on a serious assignment, and the assignment was to transform this country. We are all still dedicated on that assignment because we have worked on it, we have a road map. That legacy he wanted to leave in politics, we must work on it and we must make sure that legacy is achieved.
“And that is why we are committed. The next project you will see in Nigeria will be Project Salam, because he mean it,” he said.
