5 Nigerian governors who died in office

Death is a given! Without a doubt, 2023 has proven to be a deadly year, taking the lives of numerous Nigerians, including a number of well-known politicians and notable figures.

The Nation notes that the passing of Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo State, has brought to mind Nigerian governors who passed away while in office.

This article provides a brief overview of the lives of these notable figures who passed away while serving as governors.

AKEREDOLU Oluwarotimi

Before his passing, Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo State, served two terms as governor. He was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a former NBA president, and the state’s attorney general.

Friends and admirers lovingly referred to him as “Aketi,” wore many hats and was regarded as a tenacious leader with unwavering personal convictions by many of his peers.

He served as the chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, which is composed of the governors of the 17 states in Southern Nigeria, until his passing this morning.

Yakowa Patrick

Governor of Kaduna State Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa held office from 2010 until his death in a helicopter accident in 2012.

He perished in the 2012 collision in Ogbia Creek, Bayelsa state, along with five other people.

In July 2005, he was named deputy governor, and in the April 2007 election, he was re-elected as Kaduna’s second most important citizen.

On May 20, 2010, he took the oath of office as governor, succeeding former governor Namadi Sambo, who had taken the oath of office as vice president the day before.

Mamman Bello Ali

Mamman Bello Ali chaired the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and served as the senatorial district representative for Yobe South from 1999 to 2007.

Under the now-defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), he ran for and won the 2007 Yobe gubernatorial election. He held the position until his death in 2009.

While undergoing treatment at a hospital in Florida, the United States, he passed away from leukaemia.

Shehu Kangiwa

January 1982 saw Shehu Kangiwa’s death in office following a polo accident. At the time of his passing, Kangiwa was the governor of Sokoto State.

Garba Nadama, Kangiwa’s deputy, was sworn in as the governor of Sokoto until November 1983, when a military coup led to Muhammadu Buhari taking over.

Many loved to refer to Kangiwa as the “Smiling Governor.”  He was elected governor of Sokoto under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) but his administration was short-lived.

He died in November 1981, falling from a horse while playing polo in the 1981 edition of the Georgian League in Kaduna. He left behind nine children at the time.

In 1982 Unisteel Ltd. presented The Shehu Kangiwa Cup in his memory, and the cup is now sponsored by the Sokoto State Government.

Danbaba Danfulani Suntai

After five years of coming in and out of different hospitals, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, the former local government chairman who rose to the highest office in Taraba State, died exactly two days to his 56th birthday.

He had his last breath in Houston, Florida, in the United States on Wednesday June 28, 2017, bidding farewell to his children and wife was always by his side.

Suntai’s rough patch started on October 25, 2012, when a plane he was piloting crashed into a farmland in Namtari village, a suburb of Yola, capital of Adamawa state.

Of the four people on board, Suntai was the last to be rescued because he was trapped under the plane. Zirrah Koji, owner of the farmland, prayed for the speedy recovery of the victims but solicited assistance because his crops were destroyed.

After the sad incident, Suntai spent two days at the National Hospital, Abuja, before he was flown to Germany.

Born on June 30, 1961 at Suntai town in Bali local government area of Taraba, he attended Federal Government College, Kano (1975–1980) and the School of Basic Studies at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1980–1981). He was admitted to Ahmadu Bello University where he read pharmacy and graduated in 1984.

He did his internship at Yola Specialist Hospital and his National Youth Service at the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta, Ogun state (1985–1986). He then worked at General Hospital, Ganye in old Gongola State until 1991.

He was was elected chairman of his local government (1989–1993). In the 1999 election, he was state chairman of the All People’s Party (APP), when the PDP narrowly defeated the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). In 2000, he became chairman of Taraba State Investment and Properties Ltd. He was appointed commissioner of the ministry of education (2000-2003), and worked at the ministry of health (2003–2005) before becoming secretary to the Taraba government.