24/11/2025
Senators Ashiru, Saliu Mustapha, Bashir Bolarinwa pour in tributes, goodwill messages as Kwara Progressives Legacy Group hosts special prayer in honour of late Otunba ‘Ganzy’ in Ilorin
… late Ganiyu Zuabir was a dedicated, committed young politician, says Prince Sunday Fagbemi
THE ELITES WATCH ONLINE NEWSPAPER | November 24, 2025.
Eminent personalities including the deputy senate leader Senator Lola Ashiru and senator representing Kwara Central at the national assembly, Senator Saliu Mustapha, gathered on Sunday, in Ilorin, to offer tributes and goodwill messages during a special prayer session organised in honour of late Kwara-born politician and Member Governing Council for Federal Polytechnic Offa, Otunba AbdulGaniyu Zubairu popularly known as ‘Ganzy’, who passed away on November 14, 2025 in Abuja, the federal capital territory.
The special prayer session was organised by Kwara Progressives Legacy Group, a frontline political forum under the leadership of former Honorable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as part of the political forum activities to bid the young politician farewell.
At the prayer session, the Missioner of Al-Fathiu-l-Qarib Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Alfulani led the council of Ulamah to recite the complete Holy Qur’an and offered prayers for Allah to grant the repose of late Ganiyu Zubairu soul.
In his goodwill message, the Senate deputy leader and senator representing Kwara South at the national assembly, Sen. Lola Ashiru described late Otunba Ganiyu Zubair as “a trustworthy young man during his lifetime.
“Life itself is vanity. I am currently 70 and all that I’ve achieved since cradle made me understand that life itself is vanity upon vanity. I never knew Ganzy for being a double-faced politician. He never spoke wrong of anyone to me during his lifetime. Despite our political differences at a time, he was always loyal to his camp and maintained a cordial relationship that existed between us. One of his unfulfilled dreams was to clinch the House of Reps ticket to represent his people and I assured him in one of our meetings with Aare Adeoti that I will pull my strengths behind his ambition. I urge this gathering to offer prayers for the repose of his soul. May Allah forgive his trespasses and admit him into Aljanatil Firdaus,” the emotional Ashiru expressed.
The representative of the Senator representing Kwara central at the national assembly, Mallam Lukman Bolaji Shiru said the people of Oke-ero community has lost an illustrious son with the passing of Otunba Ganiyu Zubair, stressing that the late Oke-ero born politician was a kind-hearted family man and prayerful muslim.
Also in his goodwill message, the Kwara APC party chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi said the late Otunba Ganzy was a dedicated and committed young man. “He has been my boy since years back in Kwara politics. I introduced him to politics. During the death of my in-law in Kaduna, Ganiyu and I were in Abuja and despite his late awareness of the incident, he volunteered to drive my wife and I from Abuja to Kaduna the same day. He was not only with us from the beginning, he equally participated actively in the burial rites of my deceased in-law till we concluded the program and returned to Abuja. He will be sorely missed.”
In his tribute to the late Oke-ero born politician, former Kwara APC Chairman and Governing Board Chairman for National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Dr. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa said the late Ganzy was a free-spirited young man during his lifetime. “Otunba AbdulGaniyu Zubair was one of us in the Kwara Progressives Legacy group; we both belong to the same political family under the leadership of Alhaji Lai Mohammed. He was a committed and free spirited young man. I saw the heavy presence of sympthasers in Abuja during his burial rites, despite being away from home, and I was confident that his Creator would be pleased with his return. His passing has left a void in our ranks and I pray to Allah to forgive him of his sins and grant him eternal rest.”
The Rector, Federal Polytechnic of Offa, Engr. Kamoru Kadiri Oluwatoyin in his goodwill message solicited for adequate support for the family of late Otunba Ganiyu Zubair, stressing that his children require support to sustain their education abroad.
“I crossed paths with Otunba Ganiyu at the Governing Council level in Offa federal polytechnic and we became close together with Hon. Saheed Popoola. There were just three of us. I am from Osun state and I am aware he left three children and a wife, I appeal to this gathering to stand by the family he left behind. His children study abroad and the commitment in this regard is huge. I therefore use this medium to solicit for adequate support from the eminent political figures here present. At the Federal polytechnic of Offa level, we will also do our best to support AbdulGaniyu family, especially his children,” Dr. Kamoru who was evidently emotional during his goodwill message urged for support.
The congregation, meanwhile, prayed for the repose of the soul of late Ganiyu Zubair, as he bid farewell to the mother’s earth.
