Minority Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Waliu Ayinde Salami, has described the late Mama Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, as a matriarch whose virtues shaped the leadership qualities of her son.
In a condolence message issued on Thursday, Hon. Salami said the news of Mama Lydia’s passing came as a deep shock and a painful loss not only to the Yilwatda family but also to the entire APC family nationwide.
“Mama Lydia was not only the matriarch of the Yilwatda family but also a pillar whose virtues of faith, discipline, and selfless service are visibly reflected in the quality of leadership her son provides for our great party at this critical moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey,” Salami said.
He stressed that Mama’s nurturing hands and prayers had been part of the strength behind the courage and vision of Prof. Yilwatda. “Her passing is, therefore, not just a personal loss to Prof. Yilwatda and his family but to the entire APC family nationwide,” the Oyo Minority Leader stated.
Salami, who commiserated with the APC National Chairman on behalf of his constituents, his colleagues in the Oyo State House of Assembly, and the progressive family in Oyo State, assured him of their solidarity in this period of grief. “We are confident that the values Mama lived for will continue to inspire him to lead our party with wisdom, fairness, and uncommon resolve,” he added.
He prayed for God’s comfort upon the bereaved family and the strength to bear what he described as an irreparable loss. “May Almighty God comfort our Chairman and the entire Yilwatda family, grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss, and may Mama Lydia find eternal rest in God’s bosom,” Salami said.
