President Bola Tinubu on Sunday in Abuja condoled with the people and government of Namibia over the death of President Hage Geingob.
Geingob passed on, on Sunday at the age of 82 years while receiving treatment in a Windhoek hospital.
In a statement issued by Mr Ajuri Ngelale, his media aide, President Tinubu described Geingob as a veteran democrat and an advocate of African unity.
“He was a veteran in the struggle for democracy; a proponent of good governance, and an advocate of economic, social, and political solidarity among African peoples,’’ the Nigerian president observed.
He noted that Geingob’s death came at a time when Africa needed more visionary leaders who believed in the common destiny of the continent.
Tinubu also noted that Geingob strengthened bonds across borders and spread the tendrils of cooperation across all fields of human endeavour.
Geingob became Namibia’s founding prime minister when the country gained independence on March 21 1990 with Dr Sam Nujoma named as the founding president.
He served as prime minister between 1990 and 2002 and between 2012 and 2015, in addition to other key ministerial appointments and leadership roles.
He was elected as Namibia’s third president on March 21, 2015, and was re-elected for another five-year term in 2019.
Most recently, he supported South Africa’s complaint against Israel at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands.
South Africa had asked the court to declare that Israel was conducting genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Geingob also condemned Namibia’s former colonial ruler, Germany for rejecting the case.
