Yobe PDP leader, Mai Goroma, dies at 63

The Yobe politician died in his Abuja residence.

Ola’ Audu

A leader of the People’s Democratic Party and 2015 governorship hopeful in Yobe State, Lawan Mai Goroma, is dead.

Family sources told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Goroma died on Monday night in his Abuja residence.

Mr. Goroma, 63, was an influential grassroots politician and a former finance commissioner in Yobe State.

Friends and political associates who were with him till his last hours said the deceased was in perfect condition until he complained of a slight headache; after which he excused himself to go to bed after taking some medications.

“It was a shock to us,” said Ismail Ogini, a close political associate of the deceased who described Mr. Goroma’s death “as a painful loss.”

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the corpse of Mr. Goroma has since arrived the Yobe State capital, Damaturu, and he would be buried at 2 p.m. according to Islamic rites.

Mr. Goroma, who spearheaded the late Usman Albishir’s governorship campaign on the platform of the PDP in 2011, was recently crowned the leader of the political movement seeking to wrest power from the ruling All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) in Yobe.

Both Messrs Albishir and Goroma were members of the ANPP before they defected to the PDP in 2010; in protest against the emergence of Mamman Ali as the ANPP candidate in a primary believed to have been won by Mr. Albishir.

Mr. Albishir’s team (popularly known as Jumuna) refused to disband despite his death in a ghastly auto crash in July 2012, even though many believed his death may have deflated the movement’s steam as an opposition group.

The appointment of Mr. Goroma to steer the affairs of the movement on the platform of PDP would have been a booster to the dampened spirit of the loyal followers. His death may, however, be lead to the end of the Jumuna movement.