Senate President, Senator David Mark, has lamented the large population of people he described as actors and pretenders in Nigerian politics.
Speaking when he paid a condolence visit to the family of late Second Republic Senate leader, Dr. Olusola Saraki, Mark said politics should be played with honesty, honour and integrity, “unlike what is seen across the country today.”
The Senate President, who distinguished the late Waziri of Ilorin as a politician, who lived and played politics without pretence, asked Nigerians to celebrate instead of mourning his demise, saying that he was a man who left outstanding legacies for the political direction of Nigeria.
“Baba is not dead. He lives on because a man who lived as he did does not die. In everything he did, he was always himself; he was not pretending; he was not acting. He was a natural man doing what he liked.
“He did all he did from his heart. There are people who do not do that from heart. Unfortunately, there are many actors and pretenders on the political scene in Nigeria today. Politics should be played with honesty, with honour and a lot of integrity.
“I want to ask that the people of Kwara should not mourn too much, as if the man has not left a legacy behind. What is left for us to do is to emulate his good deeds. He brought integrity and humaness to Nigerian politics. Let us celebrate his legacies. Kwara State produced a man, who was a leader, not only in the state, but in Nigeria; a leader who has done Nigeria proud.
“Kwara State should continue to give this country people like Baba, someone who didn’t play politics of the self but sought consensus and became a bridge-builder in all ramifications,” he said.
Also speaking, Senator Bukola Saraki described the visit from Mark as consoling being the political leader of the North Central zone and pledged the commitment of the people of Kwara towards sustaining peace in the country.
On the entourage of the senate president were former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Barnabas Gemade, Senator Olubunmi Adekunle and Alhaji Sodiq Ya’Ardua.