There was a sombre atmosphere at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday as the remains of late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who represented Nasarawa North Senatorial District, arrived in Nigeria from India — an event marked as much by grief as by the conspicuous absence of Senate leadership.
The body of the late lawmaker, who died at the age of 52 while receiving medical treatment abroad, was received at the airport’s cargo terminal by leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), close political associates, family members and sympathisers. Notably missing, however, were Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other principal officers of the National Assembly, a development that quietly stirred concern among observers.
No serving senator was physically present at the solemn reception, despite the fact that Akwashiki was a sitting member of the Senate at the time of his death.
Among those who came to pay their last respects were the Acting National Chairman of the SDP, Prof. Sadiq Gombe; the party’s former presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo; former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umaru Al-Makura; Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals, Hon. Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi; former Minister of Information, Labaran Makun; and other prominent political figures.
Speaking at the airport, Prof. Gombe described Akwashiki’s passing as a profound national loss, stressing that the late senator’s death had left a painful vacuum not only in Nasarawa State but within the SDP and the country at large.
“This is a great loss, not only to the people he represented, but to our party and the nation as a whole,” Gombe said.
Responding to questions over the absence of Senate leadership at the event, Gombe explained that members of the National Assembly were currently on recess.
“You know the senators are on recess. We are all devastated, especially the family at this time,” he added.
Also paying tribute, Prince Adewole Adebayo described the late senator as a principled and outstanding public servant whose death has dealt a heavy blow to Nasarawa State.
“Anyone who truly knew Senator Godiya Akwashiki will agree that he was a great man. His death has a serious negative impact on the entire state. We do not have many senators, so losing one like this is a very heavy loss,” Adebayo said.
In his remarks, Hon. Jonathan Gaza said Akwashiki’s death had united the party and the state in collective grief, noting that the late lawmaker’s record of service and commitment to his people would endure.
“He was a seasoned legislator, a wonderful father and a loving husband. His dedication to Nasarawa State was evident throughout his political journey,” Gaza said.
Addressing the concerns raised by the absence of official Senate representation, Gaza urged restraint, noting that the death occurred during the National Assembly’s recess, with many senators reportedly outside the country.
“At moments like this, grief should not be politicised. What matters most is standing with the family, praying for the repose of his soul and asking God to grant his loved ones the strength to bear this heavy loss,” he said.
Senator Akwashiki reportedly died last Wednesday while receiving treatment in India. Since the announcement of his death, tributes and condolence messages have continued to pour in from political leaders, party members and Nigerians across party lines.
However, even as the nation mourns, questions persist over the absence of official Senate representation at the airport reception — a detail that has added a subtle political undertone to an otherwise solemn farewell.
