Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described Dr. Umaru Dikko, former Minister of Transport in the Second Republic, as a courageous advocate of rule of law, constitutionality and democracy.
Atiku Abubakar
In a condolence statement issued by his media office in Abuja, the former Vice President said, despite the public hostility to the late Umaru Dikko, the man had other virtues that Nigerians didn’t seem to appreciate.
According to him, Dikko was a fierce opponent of unconstitutional seizure of power by soldiers.
He recalled that Dikko was the loudest critic of military rule, a role for which he said the former Minister was singled out for special punishment because he was a vocal critic of the new military rulers of December 1983.
The former Vice President said, although Dikko had his own shortcomings like every other person, he was a passionate democrat that vigorously opposed the take-over of government by unconstitutional means.
He recalled that Dikko was a lawyer, mathematician and colourful politician whose sense of logic was outstanding.
Atiku Abubakar condoled with the people and government of Kaduna State, the Zazzau Emirate Council and the family of the deceased over the demise of the prominent Northern politician.