By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has described late Senator Godiya Akwashiki as a very straightforward politician whose word was his bond.
Speaking on Saturday in Lafia, Nasarawa State at the residence of Akwashiki where he paid a glowing tribute to the Senator who died on New Year eve and buried on Saturday, Akpabio who assured the wife that she would not be left alone because her husband had built bridges across the country, said, “Today we are here to tell you that you are not alone. Just be consoled that you have people. He has built bridges across the country. And those friends will be there supporting you even when you may not see some of them,” Akpabio told Mrs Akwashiki.
The Senate President said that the demise of Senator Akwashiki was one death too many after the loss of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah of Anambra State and Senator Okey Ezea of Enugu State.
Prior to his death, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, represented Nasarawa North in the present 10th Senate on the platform of the SDP.
Born in Angba Iggah, Nasarawa Eggon LGA of Nasarawa State, Senator Akwashiki was first elected to the Senate in 2019 and re-elected in 2023.
Late Senator Akwashiki who was a member of the 9th National Assembly (2019 -2023), was re-elected on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, SDP for his second term in 2023.
He was previously elected as a member of the State House of Assembly and served as Majority Leader and later became the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.
Senator Godiya Akwashiki served the Senate as Chairman, Senate Committee on Inter-parliamentary Affairs, Vice Chairman, Media and Public Affairs, and Chair of the Senate Committee on Airforce.
Akpabio said, “Today in Nasarawa, we are not just mourning the demise of a son of Nasarawa State, we are mourning the demise of a man who had great potential in terms of what he would have contributed towards the development of Nasarawa State.
“Even as a Senator of the Social Democratic Party(SDP), he did not discriminate. He supported me and he was always very proud of what was happening in Nasarawa State.
“In the few months that he was active in the Senate, he proved himself as an erudite and very committed patriotic Nigerian.
“We have no words to describe what has happened. We feel the pain, the tragedy that was not foretold but we accept it as the will of God. Please accept our condolences.”
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), also attended the funeral mass along some senators.
On his part, the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South who described the death of the SDP Senator as a sad moment for the Senate minority Caucus, said, “For us in the minority Caucus, it is a very sad moment. We have been losing our members in the minority Caucus to other political parties, it is very tragic that this one, we are losing to death.”
Earlier, at the Nasarawa State Government House, Akpabio thanked Governor Abdullahi for the honour done the late Senator by taking charge of the burial.
Governor Abdullahi Sule thanked the Senate President for the visit despite the bad weather that temporarily delayed the flight and for the show of solidarity for his departed colleague.
Also, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo described the Akwashiki as one of the last enduring symbols of principled politics in Nigeria, a public servant whose life reflected discipline, restraint and a deep sense of democratic responsibility.
Giving his tribute, Adebayo who noted that the Senator’s death represents more than the loss of a legislator; it marks the departure of a political tradition anchored in conscience, service and respect for institutions, said tgat his passing is deeply painful for the people of Nasarawa North, whom he represented with distinction, but it is also a sobering loss for Nigeria’s political community and the Social Democratic Party family.
He said, “Moments like this remind us that politics can still be about responsibility rather than privilege,”
Adebayo who noted that to speak of Akwashiki is to preserve the memory of a life that mattered, traced Akwashiki’s rise to national prominence to a career shaped by patience, learning and respect for process. Educated within Nigeria’s public institutions, the late Senator began his professional life at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), where he gained early exposure to the workings of the state.
That experience, Adebayo noted, helped mould Akwashiki’s understanding of governance not as spectacle, but as a system meant to serve the common good, adding that his entry into politics in Nasarawa State followed a similar pattern of gradual trust-building. From the State House of Assembly to the National Assembly, his rise was defined not by sudden influence, but by consistent delivery and attentive representation.
“He never treated legislation as an abstract exercise,” Adebayo said. “For him, governance was about lives, livelihoods and national stability.”
Values That Defined His Public Life
Beyond legislative titles and committee roles, Adebayo said Akwashiki’s true legacy lies in the values he brought into public office, just as he described the late senator as a firm believer in the dignity of labour, the necessity of dialogue and the moral obligation of leaders to protect the vulnerable.
He said, “These convictions, he noted, earned Akwashiki the respect of labour unions, civic institutions and international parliamentary bodies. These recognitions were not ceremonial. They were acknowledgements of a man who understood that governance must improve lives, not merely manage power.”
Adebayo who noted that Akwashiki’s association with the Social Democratic Party carried special significance, described the SDP as more than a political platform.
He said, “The SDP is a tradition—rooted in social justice, human welfare and disciplined democracy,” he said. “Senator Akwashiki’s alignment with that tradition was not accidental; it was an expression of conviction.”
At a time when political defections are often driven by expediency, Adebayo said Akwashiki’s commitment to values over convenience stood out as a reminder that ideology still matters.
On a personal level, Adebayo described Akwashiki as a reminder of what Nigerian politics can still represent at its best, adding, “He was accessible without being unserious, firm without arrogance, and ambitious without losing sight of service.
“Even in moments of disagreement, Akwashiki remained respectful, believing that democracy thrives not on uniformity but on disciplined disagreement guided by national interest.
“He carried his people with him, not behind him,” Adebayo added, underscoring a leadership style rooted in inclusion rather than distance.”
Adebayo who warned that Akwashiki’s passing should prompt serious reflection among those still in public life, urging leaders to ask whether they are building legacies or merely occupying offices, said that the late senator left behind more than records of service; he left a benchmark—of representation grounded in conscience, leadership anchored in humanity and politics guided by accountability.
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