Perfect Gentleman, Tinubu Pays Glowing Tributes To Late Ogbonnaya Onu

ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu on Monday, penned down an emotional tribute to late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, describing him as a perfect gentleman whose exploit in the Nigerian political system will be greatly missed.

Late Onu served as Minister of Science and Technology under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, he once served as governor of Abia state and was instrumental in the merger and formation of the ruling All Progressive Congress.

Tinubu while reminiscing on his relationship with the late politician, said when Dr Ogbonnaya Onu died on April 11, 2024, I did not doubt that our country had lost a perfect gentleman, elder statesman, patriotic Nigerian, and staunch believer in our march towards Nigeria’s true destiny as a great nation.

According to the President, Onu was a true progressive. He was also a quintessential politician, one many adored and looked up to for inspiration and direction.

Tinubu said Onu believed in the ideals of the progressive movement as a way to develop our country, which is why he worked tirelessly for the progressives’ emergence on the nation’s stage in 2015.

“Dr Onu’s contributions to forming our legacy political party, the All Progressives Congress, in the build-up to the 2015 election are on record. His then All Nigeria Peoples Party was fractious at the time. But we can hardly forget how Onu rallied that party’s progressive wing to ally with the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria and Congress for Progressive Change to form the All Progressives Congress we have today. He provided leadership and direction within our party. The rest, as they say, is history.

“We must thank Dr. Onu, among others, for this critical work in the birth of our party and for what we have achieved thus far. Our party has produced two presidents, including me. It has, therefore, become imperative for us as leaders of our party and nation to continue to do our utmost best to provide good governance, uplift the living standards of our people, and hoist high the APC banner as we strive to take our country to the Promised Land.

“We must do this in memory of Dr. Onu and others who left us and helped to take our country to this day.

“Let us continue Dr. Onu’s work and strive to make him proud.

“Dr. Onu did much more than the invaluable role he played in forming APC. He contributed a lot to the development of Abia State and Nigeria.

“Prolific author and renowned engineer Dr. Onu was the first civilian governor of Abia State. He did the pioneering work, laying the infrastructural foundation for the state’s development for other successive governors to build on.