Dele Moses, Ilorin
First Republic politician and first lawyer in the old northern Nigeria, AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho Abdulrazaq, SAN, has passed on at the age of 93.
The former politician, according to his family, died peacefully at about 2 am on Saturday.
The elderstatesman who hailed from Ilorin was the father of the governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
He was, during the First Republic, Nigerian ambassador to Ivory Coast where he was said to have come in contact with elderly Mutairu Saraki and his son Dr Olusola Saraki and encouraged the latter to come home to Ilorin and participate in politics.
The deceased was one of the political leaders in Kwara State as at the time the state was created in 1967 and also participated in the politics of the state during the Second Republic at the time Saraki emerged the warlord of the politics of the state.
Some of his children like some of the Sarakis took after him in politics and the children include his first son, Alimi Abdulrazaq who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state in 1999, Senator Khairat Gwadabe who once represented the FCT at the Senate and Abdulrahman the state governor.
A statement signed by Alimi said the burial arrangement of the deceased would soon be announced.
The statement reads: “With total submission to the will of the Almighty Allah, the AbdulRazaqs of Ilorin Emirate of Kwara State hereby announce the passing of their patriarch and statesman Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho Abdul-Razaq SAN (OFR) at the age of 93 in Abuja. He was born in 1927.
“The Mutawali of Ilorin and Tafida of Zazzau (Zaria), who was Chairman of the Nigerian Body of Benchers, died peacefully at about 2a.m. on Saturday July 25th, 2020 (the 4th day of Dhul-Hijjah 1441 AH.).
“The first lawyer from the Northern Region is survived by his 90-year-old wife Alhaja Raliat AbdulRazaq, illustrious children (including incumbent Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq), and grandchildren. Arrangement for his interment will be announced by the family shortly.
