By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Senate on Tuesday, December, 7, 2021, held a minute silence in honour of a former Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Gbenga Aluko.
Aluko, who was a member of the Senate in the Fourth Republic, passed away on November 4, 2021, in Abuja.
The minute of silence was sequel to a point of order raised by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North), under order 43 (Personal Explanation).
Sen. Adetumbi informed his colleagues that the deceased served in various Senate Committees including Selection, Senate Services (Vice chairman), Aviation, Affairs, Finance and Appropriation, Social Development and Sports and Local and Foreign Debts.
He said: “He was also Vice Chairman of the Gas Committee, Chairman of the Petroleum Committee, and Chairman of an ad hoc committee to investigate the controversial closure of Savannah Bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“In October 2002, served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“After leaving the Senate, Aluko continued in private enterprise, and was Consultant to DFID on Parliamentary Matters and Director of Government Affairs with Chevron Nigeria.
“He left the PDP for the Labour Party, on which platform he unsuccessfully contested the Ekiti State governorship election in 2007. In December 2009, Aluko returned to the PDP.
“Aluko in 2018 contested the governorship ticket on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State,”
“Gbenga Aluko was married to two wives; Sileola and Adebola and he had seven children, the eldest being the renowned footballers Eniola and Sone; others are Gbemisola, Lolade, Bubemi, Temisan and Folarin.
“On 20 November 2021, Gbenga collapsed in his Abuja office and was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.”