Abia State Working Committee (SWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday paid a condolence visit to the family of late Sir Johnson Onuigbo, immediate past Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Abia State Chapter.
The APC team led by the state Chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, Barr. Perfect Okorie, Secretary and Comrade Benedict Godson, Publicity Secretary visited the Onuigbo’s in their country home in Ibeku, Umuahia to offer their condolences.
Speaking at the visit, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, APC Chairman described the late Onuigbo as a man of peace, who played politics without bitterness.
He urged the family to uphold their late father’s principles of peace, unity, progress and fair play.
“We came here to pay our late brother the respect he deserved and to also sympathize with his family which he left behind. On my own side, I’m dumbfounded because we shared a lot in common with my departed colleague.
“Though he was the PDP state Chairman, but we never saw ourselves from the divide of politics. We’ve always seen ourselves from the point of colleagues. My brother Onuigbo played politics without bitterness.
“He displayed high sense of humanity. He placed him an value against political and material consideration. He was among those who made it possible for us to play politics in Abia State without rancour and acrimony which to the surprise and confusion of many they thought Abia is playing politics of compromise.
“We mourn him today not just because he was a party leader, but because he was a uniting factor in many things. He was a very philanthropic human being who believed so much in community and communal services. He finds it difficult to see someone body crying.
“He was always preaching for peace. The supreme authority has taken decision, but we urged you his family to uphold those ideals he lived for. Those ideals were; peace, unity, progress and fair play. He had principle built on fairness and firmness.
“So, we the APC have come to condole and console the family. Take heart and may Almighty God give you the ability, capacity, strength and grace to withstand this lose. Remember he was a peace loving man. Keep to it please. APC will play our role as we match towards giving one of our heroes in Abia a befitting burial,” he said.
Responding to their visit, Mr. Tochukwu Onuigbo, first son of the deceased thanked the APC SWC for showing respect to his late father and for proving to them that he was a man of the people.
“Just as the Chairman said, my father never cared so much about political differences. He played politics with conscience. If there’s anything our family could have done to keep our father alive, we did it.
“It’s the will of God for him to return home. Your visit today proved that my father was not a man who segregated because of political divides. I thank you all.”
