The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has paid glowing tributes to Chief Kenneth Gbagi who passed away on Saturday at the age of 62.
Gbagi, a former Minister of State for Education in the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, was the governorship candidate in Delta State in the 2023 governorship election on the platform of SDP.
In a statement issued by the businessman and politician, Adebayo said losing Gbagi, whom he described as his “total friend, brother, ally, confidant, cheerleader, supporter, believer, promoter, champion, rock, defender and tireless movant and unhesitating sacrificer”, was too much for him as human to process.
According to him, “Gbagi was a Nigerian who loved his country and the people in it. The ultimate brother and consummate friend of Nigerians from all walks of life and every cardinal point in our geography. He gave his all to his country and gave more than he had for his friends and made friends with as many as could justly be aligned with.
“A man of courage and energy, who knew how to create and build, whose mind was an open book and his heart too large to exclude anyone. He lived with the wisdom of the aged and the excitement of a child and complete trust that everyone would treat him with as much love as he treated them, never failing, never falling even when the road was rougher and unrewarding; with no distinction between what battles were his or those of his friends.
“Chief Kenneth Gbagi was always ahead of the owner of the fight once justice was at stake. A complete believer in Nigeria and Nigerians. Gbagi was ubiquitous and universal in the weaving of the fabrics of unity and solidarity across every square mile of Nigeria. There is no place or space where Kenneth Gbagi could not open doors on account of some good deeds already preceding him. You will live as long as Nigeria lives. We will carry your flag on and Nigeria shall endure so that your dream of an equal and just land of closely knit brothers and sisters living on the abundance of our inheritance and productive civilization shall come to pass. Thank you very much, Kenneth Gbagi, the total Nigerian.”
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