Late elder statesman, Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule, was one of the greatest nationalists ever produced by Nigeria, former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, said on Wednesday. He described the death, on Monday morning in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, of Dr. Maitama Sule as a sad loss not only to his family and Kano State but to the entire Nigerian Nation.

“I received the news of the passing of Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule, the Danmasanin Kano, with immense sadness. Though he died at the ripe age of 87, Dr. Maitama Sule’s passing is a sad development because he was a rare breed whose patriotic voice is needed at this time of the ethno-religious nationalism that is threatening the very fabric of the Nigerian Nation. I met him a couple of times and I can confirm that he was something else,” Mr. Obi said in a statement issued by his Media Office.

He described the one-time Nigerian Ambassador to the United States as a first class diplomat, eminent patriot, great orator and foremost champion of a united Nigeria whose voice of reason will resonate for generations.