By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
Send tips: adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Nigeria’s political landscape is in mourning following the death of Isa Abonyi Obaro, a pioneering Second Republic senator who represented Dekina North and South Federal Constituency in the old Kwara State, at the age of 91.
Obaro, a respected National Party of Nigeria (NPN) stalwart, passed away on Thursday after a brief illness, his family announced. His demise marks another loss for Nigeria’s democratic history, coming weeks after the death of Senator Okey Ezea (Enugu North), whom Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan also mourned.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, 45, took to her Facebook page Tuesday to pay a heartfelt tribute, describing Obaro as her “Distinguished Senator and mentor” who “lit a candle of honour” for Kogi Central.
“Rest in peace, Distinguished Senator Isa Abonyi Obaro. Your legacy of service, integrity, and dedication to the people of Kogi will forever be etched in our hearts. Thank you for lighting the path for those who follow,” she wrote, praying for strength for his family and the repose of his soul.
Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com
Elected in 1979 during Nigeria’s brief Second Republic (1979–1983), Obaro served until the military coup of December 31, 1983, that ousted President Shehu Shagari. As a key NPN figure, he championed rural development and education in what is now Kogi State, advocating for infrastructure in the Igala heartland.
Born in 1934 in Dekina, Obaro was a teacher, farmer, and community leader before politics. He later became a vocal elder statesman, mentoring young politicians and mediating ethnic tensions in Kogi. In 2019, he endorsed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Senate bid, calling her a “worthy successor.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio led tributes, hailing Obaro as “a founding father whose wisdom shaped our democracy.” Kogi Governor Usman Ododo described him as “a colossus whose footprints remain indelible.”
This is Akpoti-Uduaghan’s second public mourning of a Senate colleague in weeks. On November 19, she grieved Ezea, a Labour Party lawmaker who died in Lagos after a brief illness.
“You were a good man wise and gentle. Your prayers kept me going through my darkest moments,” she posted, crediting Ezea for supporting her during her 2025 Senate suspension over misconduct allegations.
Obaro’s funeral arrangements are pending, with a state burial expected in Dekina.
DDNewsOnline