Nasarawa Speakers Hail Late Sen. Akwashiki as ‘Iroko Tree,’ Resourceful Lawmaker
By Yahaya Idris, Lafia
Serving and former Speakers of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly have poured encomiums on the late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, describing him as a resourceful, uncommon legislator whose “good product” legacy towers like an Iroko tree felled too soon.
The Northern Senatorial District lawmaker, who died on December 31, 2025, in an Indian hospital after a prolonged illness at age 52, was buried last Saturday amid tributes to his transformative representation.
From 2011 until his demise, Akwashiki straddled state and federal legislatures, leaving indelible marks as Majority Leader in the 4th Assembly (2011-2015), Deputy Speaker in the 5th (2015-2019), and Senator in the 9th and 10th National Assemblies.
His passing evokes Prof. Wole Soyinka’s poignant line: “An Iroko Tree has Fallen”, a metaphor capturing not just loss to the Eggon nation, but to Nasarawa State and Nigeria’s political ecosystem, where his philanthropy and bridge-building between executive and legislature set him apart.
Dr. Musa Ahmed Muhammad, Speaker of the 4th Assembly and current State Accountant-General, recalled Akwashiki’s role as Majority Leader under his watch. “He was a good product, good thinking that upcoming politicians should emulate, his inputs at State and National Assembly. “We lost him when we needed him most, but his Creator needed him more,” Ahmed said.
Akwashiki’s 2015 re-election as Deputy Speaker under Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi amplified his influence.
Balarabe, now a key political figure, hailed him as “a man of honour, integrity, a loyal servant trusted with any assignment.
“He was my trusted Deputy; with him around, I went home and slept peacefully. May Allah forgive his shortcomings and reward his deeds.”
These tributes highlight Akwashiki’s rarity in Nigerian politics: a lawmaker who earned trust across assemblies, mediating executive-legislature tensions that often paralyze state governance.
Current Speaker Dr. Danladi Jatau, Akwashiki’s colleague in the 4th Assembly (2011-2015), was unsurprised by his 2019 Senate elevation. “An Iroko tree has fallen, a painful exit, great loss to Eggon nation, state, and Nigeria.
He was a patriotic citizen, outstanding leader and legislator. We will miss his contributions,” Jatau mourned.
In the Red Chamber, Akwashiki chaired committees on Labour and Productivity, driving capital projects, road construction, electrification, and empowerment for rural vulnerable, interventions stakeholders at his Night of Tribute ranked among Nasarawa’s best.
Re-elected in 2023 for the 10th Senate, his compassion fueled admiration from Jatau, Balarabe, and Ahmed, all underscoring a parliamentarian driven by hard work for the downtrodden.
Akwashiki’s trajectory, from state Majority Leader intermediary to federal heavyweight, exemplifies how grassroots impact propels leaders upward, leaving a blueprint for Nasarawa’s next generation amid the state’s perennial push for development.
