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Nigeria’s ambassador to US, Nsofor dies, Buhari mourns
BY NICHOLAS ABE
The Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Justice (rtd.) Sylvanus Nsofor, reportedly died Thursday evening.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday spoke with the widow of the 85-year-old diplomat whose minority judgment at the election appeal panel gave Buhari victory in the 2003 presidential election, won by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Nsofor died in the United States.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement titled “President Buhari mourns Ambassador Nsofor; calls him a man of rare courage,” said Buhari had spoken with the deceased’s widow, Jane on the telephone to commiserate with her and the family.
According to the statement, Buhari, during the telephone conversation described the late envoy as “an outstanding judge of rare courage and truth who is not afraid to give justice to whom justice is due.”
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Shehu added that the President had directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with the deceased’s family on his burial arrangement.
The statement read in part, “Apparently referring to the 2003 presidential election during which Justice Nsofor delivered a minority judgment as a member of the election appeal panel in favour of Gen. Buhari as candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, the President said the country will miss people with such exemplary pedigree.
“President Buhari, who has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with Justice Nsofor’s family on the burial arrangements, prayed God to comfort all who mourn the departed jurist and grant his soul eternal rest.”