Yar’adua’s mother made me who I am – Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has credited Hajiya Dada Yar’Adua, the late matriarch of the Yar’Adua family, as a pivotal figure in his rise to power. During a condolence visit to the Yar’Adua family in Katsina on Saturday, Jonathan described her passing as a profound personal loss, likening it to losing his own mother.

Speaking emotionally, Jonathan revealed that he was en route to Kigali, Rwanda, when he received the heartbreaking news of her death. Upon returning to Nigeria, he felt compelled to pay his respects. “This woman technically made me who I am. It was her son who brought me as his running mate, and without her, you wouldn’t have known my name. So she was like my mother, and this is like the death of my mother,” Jonathan said, highlighting the deep bond he shared with the Yar’Adua family.

Jonathan’s reflections underscored the significant role the late Hajiya Dada played in his political journey. He noted that her son, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, had chosen him as a running mate, a decision that ultimately propelled Jonathan to the presidency. “Her death is really touching to me. It is a very sad moment for all of us,” he added, expressing his condolences on behalf of himself, his team, and his state.

The late Hajiya Dada Yar’Adua, also the mother of the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Senator Abdul Aziz Musa Yar’Adua, passed away on Monday, September 2nd, 2024, at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina after a brief illness. Her death marks the end of an era for a family deeply woven into Nigeria’s political fabric.