The immediate-past National Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and now a Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali has mourned the death of Mr. Kenneth Tersoo Gyado.
Gyado, 58, died in Paris, France penultimate Thursday during a visit to the country.
The late Gyado was a staff in the Publicity Department of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when Prof Alkali was the party’s National Publicity Secretary.
Prof Alkali’s tenure as PDP National Spokesperson coincided with the period Nigeria faced deep political challenges when the late President Umar Yar’Adua was facing health challenges abroad before his eventual demise.
The APC Chieftain recalled that he had a fabulous working relationship with the late Gyado, whose close relationship with all the Journalists that covered the PDP as at that time gave the party an edge in media-related matters.
“The PDP Press Corps fondly refers to this jolly good fellow as Kenny G, which speaks volume of his person as a bridge between the party and the media, he said.
The statement reads in part, “Kenneth Gyado was an ardent believer in the dreams of the founding fathers of the PDP from the day he joined the party as a Staff in 1998 till circumstances forced him out of the PDP when those that eventually took over the affairs of the party appeared to be aliens to the dreams of the Founding Fathers of the party.
“When I assumed office as the National Publicity of the PDP, I saw in Kenneth Gyado a great asset to the party.
“His intelligence, competence, ability to work under pressure and management of Staff in the Publicity Directorate endured him to both the Staff and members of the party.
“He was, indeed, a great Team Player.
“There was no National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting without an imprint of late Kenneth Gyado, who anchored the meetings as a true professional.
“His demise has left a great vacuum in both the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he joined after his 17 years sojourn in PDP and among his friends and associates.
“His death is a heavy burden to bear.
“We pray that God will give his family, the people of Benue State, and the entire APC family and associates the fortitude to bear this huge loss.
“May his gentle soul rest in peace. Amen.”
