Ex-Reps Speaker, Ghali Na’Abba Dies at 65

Ololade Adeyanju/

Onetime speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba has reportedly died early today at the National Hospital, Abuja. He was 65.

Na’Abba became the 4th Speaker of Nigeria’s Green Chamber as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after the political crisis that led to the exit of the first speaker of the Fourth Republic, Salisu Buhari. He served from 1999 to 2003.

Na’Abba began his political career as a Political Science student at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He was elected as an executive committee member of the ABU chapter of the revolutionary People’s Redemption Party established in the Second Republic by the maverick politician, Mallam Aminu Kano. As a student of Mallam Aminu school of good governance, nation building, and transparency in politics he became a notable politician in Kano State.

He joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 during its formative period, and he emerged as the party’s candidate in the April 1999 National Assembly election in Kano Municipal Federal Constituency of Kano State. He won the election to represent the Federal constituency in the House of Representatives. With the victory and support of other House members-elect from Kano and North West geo-political zone, he pursued the role of Speaker of the House. Although he amassed substantial support from his colleagues and party leaders, he bowed to counsel and conceded to Ibrahim Salisu Buhari, who later emerged as the first Speaker of the Fourth Republic House of Representatives. He was thus appointed the House Committee Chairman on Appropriations. He became the Speaker when Buhari’s tenure was short-lived.