President Bola Tinubu has expressed the nation’s profound grief over the passing of Hajiya Binta (Dada) Yar’Adua, mother of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, late General Shehu Yar’adua.
As the nation bids farewell to the late revered matriarch of the Yar’Adua family, the President said the passing of Hajiya Yar’Adua, who died on Monday night, is a loss not just for the immediate family or Katsina State alone, but it is for the entire nation.
The President spoke on Tuesday through his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who led the federal government’s delegation to the burial of the late Hajiya Binta (Dada) Yar’Adua in Katsina State.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman in the VP’s office, Stanley Nkwocha, President Tinubu eulogised the late matriarch, describing her as “a colossus and iconic woman.”
The President noted that the loss of Hajiya Yar’Adua had impacted the whole nation, saying, “The loss is not just for the immediate family or Katsina State alone, but it is for the entire nation and all of us.”
He continued: “We are here to express his commitment to the governor, the government and Nigeria as a whole over the loss of the matriarch. We are sympathising with the family over this great loss. She was our mother and our grandmother.
“May Allah grant her soul eternal rest and reward her with Aljannah Firdaus. May Allah give the government, the family and people of Katsina State, the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
The Vice President was accompanied to the burial by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa; Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; former Secretary to Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, and Special Adviser to the President on General Duties, Aliyu Modibo.
Other dignitaries at the event included Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.
Earlier, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, son of the deceased and Senator representing Katsina Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, paid tribute to his mother’s legacy.
He said, “Our mother was a shining example of kindness, compassion, and piety. Her life was a testament to the values of hard work, dedication, and service to humanity.
“As a devout Muslim, she lived a life of unwavering faith, always seeking the pleasure of Allah (SWT). Her passing leaves a void that can never be filled, but we take comfort in the knowledge that she lived a fulfilling life and left behind a legacy of love, kindness, and generosity,” Senator Yar’Adua added.