TRAGEDY struck the Kano State House of Assembly on Tuesday as two serving lawmakers were confirmed dead within minutes of each other, plunging the state’s political landscape into deep mourning.
News Point Nigeria reports that the lawmakers, Sarki Aliyu Daneji, who represented Kano Municipal Local Government Area, and Hon. Aminu Sa’adu, the member representing Ungoggo Local Government Area, were prominent figures in the state legislature.
The shocking development sent ripples across Kano’s political circles, given the close timing of the deaths and the active roles both men played in the House of Assembly.
Confirmation of the death of Sarki Aliyu Daneji was announced by the spokesperson to the Kano State Governor, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, who broke the news via a post on his official Facebook page.
Daneji’s death was reported barely minutes after news emerged of the passing of his colleague, Hon. Aminu Sa’adu, compounding the shock and grief within the Assembly and across the state.
Earlier, the Press Secretary of the Kano State House of Assembly, Kamaludeen Sani Shawai, confirmed the death of Hon. Sa’adu, stating that the lawmaker fell ill shortly after arriving at the Assembly earlier in the day.
According to Shawai, Sa’adu was immediately rushed to a hospital for urgent medical attention, but doctors later confirmed his death after efforts to save him proved unsuccessful.
“The lawmaker took ill shortly after arriving at the Assembly and was taken to the hospital, where he was later confirmed dead,” Shawai said.
He added that the late lawmaker would be buried at about 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, in line with Islamic rites, as is customary.
The death of Hon. Sa’adu has thrown Ungoggo Local Government Area into mourning, with constituents, colleagues and political associates expressing grief over the sudden loss.
Similarly, the passing of Sarki Aliyu Daneji has left Kano Municipal Local Government Area and the wider political community in shock, as tributes poured in describing him as a committed legislator and grassroots politician.
As news of both deaths spread, the Kano State House of Assembly was enveloped in an atmosphere of sorrow, with lawmakers and staff struggling to come to terms with the rare double tragedy.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kano State Government and the leadership of the Assembly were yet to issue a comprehensive official statement on the deaths, though condolences have continued to pour in from political leaders, institutions and members of the public.