From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has mourned the passing of Bayelsa East Senator Inatimi Rufus Spiff.
Spiff, the Chairman of the Bayelsa PDP Reconciliation Committee, died in Abuja on Christmas Eve following a brief illness.
The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Ebiye Ogoli, said in a statement that the party is pained and saddened by the sudden demise of Spiff, who he described as a solid pillar of the party in Twon Brass, Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State as well as in the South-South region.
“Senator Inatimi Rufus Spiff, who hails from Twon-Brass in Brass Local Government Area was former Secretary to State Government in the Old Rivers State. He was later appointed Commissioner of Education under Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha’s administration in Bayelsa State and thereafter got elected and served meritoriously as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The late Senator Spiff was an astute politician and excellent administrator, a humble, unassuming personality; renowned grassroots mobiliser who had thrown his full weight behind the current presidential aspiration of the Waziri Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and working assiduously for the success of all our party’s candidates in the forthcoming general elections in the State.”
Ogoli said Spiff’s death has “left a gaping vacuum in our ranks, especially at this auspicious time when his ebullient presence and boisterous good nature, is needed to bolster and position us to kick-start our comprehensive state-wide campaigns expected to commence soon to put us ahead to secure ultimate victory for all our candidates”.