UPDATED: PANDEF LEADER, EDWIN CLARK, PASSES AWAY AT 97

Clark’s passing comes shortly after the death of Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, who died at the age of 96 just a few days ago. Both Clark and Adebanjo were prominent figures in Nigeria’s political development.

In 2022, the two leaders attended the Greater Nigeria Conference (GNC) in Abuja, where they discussed the possibility of a Southeast candidate emerging as Nigeria’s next president.

The GNC, organized by the global Igbo think tank Nzuko Umunna, aimed to garner support for a presidential candidate from the Southeast in the 2023 elections.

Clark, a significant figure in Nigerian politics, was a staunch advocate for the rights of the Niger Delta.

He was a lawyer, administrator, nationalist, and freedom fighter. He served as Commissioner for Education in the Mid-Western Region from 1968 to 1971 and as Commissioner for Finance and Establishment in the defunct Bendel State from 1972 to 1975. On the national level, he was appointed Commissioner for Information in 1975 and later served as a Senator from 1979 to 1983.

Apart from his political roles, Clark was a key voice for unity at both the regional and national levels.

He was also known for mediating peace between conflicting communities and politicians in the Niger Delta. Recently, he formed a committee to reconcile Governor Siminalayi Fubara with his former political ally, Nyesom Wike.

The committee, chaired by former Akwa Ibom Governor Obong Victor Attah, was announced at a special General Assembly of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (Pandef) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on October 24, 2024.