Former President Goodluck Jonathan has praised the exceptional leadership of his predecessor in office, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and said he lived and died for Nigeria.
In a emotional tribute on his twitter handle to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of former President Yar’Adua, Jonathan said Yar’Adua “was a president like no other who lived and died for the sake of his country.”
He added that the former president stood on the side of “the people, toiling day and night to make their lives better.”
Yar’Adua died on May 5, 2010, and Jonathan who was until then vice president, was sworn in as his successor.
He noted that Yar’Adua’s “image fills our consciousness as a mark of his selflessness, typical modesty and exceptional flair,” adding that he “built strong bridges of hope, love and understanding for which he became a force for national unity and positive change across our blessed land.
“In many ways he stood out. He had an accommodating spirit and enormous goodwill that secreted a web around our national fault lines to strengthen the bond; thus leaving for his successors the task of reinforcing the band.
“President Yar’Adua no doubt left enduring legacies in his wholehearted devotion to the ideals of democracy, respect for peoples’ rights, freedoms and reason for living as well as commitment to the rule of law and laws of equity and justice.
“I will continue to remember President Yar’Adua as a colleague and boss who became my brother and friend.”
