A former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, yesterday described former Senate Leader Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki as a refined politician from whom he learnt a "few political notes".

Also, a former Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, said the late Saraki was a bridge between the North and the South.

Babangida, who spoke on Saraki in a statement through his Media Adviser, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said the former Senate Leader understood the dynamics of politics.

The statement said: "Nigeria has once again lost a rare political gem, such a refined man who understood the tempers and mercies of politics and who gave more than a passing interest in nurturing it.

"He was a man that cultivated his politics in a very peculiar manner and espoused the practice of generosity and good neighbourliness to sustain his array of political followers. Easily called Oloye by his numerous followers back in his native Ilorin , Senator Olusola Saraki was a politician that created his own panache throughout his entire political sojourn.

"He was very close to me and I had the rare privilege of learning a few political notes from his rich reservoir of political knowledge.

"Senator Saraki has the mileage that most politicians do not have. He was kind, generous, God-fearing and enjoyed a popularity that was peculiar to him alone. He understood the dynamics of Nigeria politics and was able to sustain his political relevance through and through.

"Even though death is the final sting of man, it is hurting to lose such a political colossus at this time. His death struck me with awe. It is nostalgic especially when I reflected on those good old days when we shared certain political philosophy together; the philosophy of one Nigeria , the philosophy of growth and development and the symbolic practice of being kind to fellow human being.

"Senator Olusola Saraki's philanthropy was infectious and down-to-earth. His love for the ordinary folks out there earned him a place in their million hearts. He was the masses man who craved for the elimination of poverty. He shared his riches and politics with many, and his ability to fit into all political groupings was what made his life very unique.

"On behalf of my family, I join millions of his admirers, friends and associates in condoling his family over this painful loss. May Allah in His infinite mercy grant him eternal rest in the hereafter. May He grant the family the strength and courage to bear with this hurting loss. Adieu, Oloye until we meet to part no more.

On his part, a former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, in a statement in Abuja , said the late Senate Majority Leader was one of the most successful brokers of peace and "a bridge" between the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria .

Adamu said: "When he was majority leader, the NPN had a slim majority that made it impossible for it to carry out its agenda but the late Saraki's political sagacity made him find a way for the ruling party to always have its way in the Senate.

"It was to his credit that he held firmly to Kwara State and was able to not only provide adequate leadership for the people but also used it as a spring board for meaningful contributions to national politics."

He commiserated with the Saraki family and urged the Kwara State Government to immortalise Baba Oloye as the deceased was fondly called.

He added: "The exceptional touch of Baba Oloye, with the grassroots was one of the major sources of his political relevance and something other Nigerians should emulate. He was a self-made person who came to limelight and stayed in the limelight.

"The late ‘Father of Kwara Politics', as some fondly called Dr. Saraki, had been a prominent political feature at all levels of the country's democratic journey, from the First, Second, Third and Fourth Republics.

"It is hard to forget the profound roles Dr. Saraki played in the formation of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic, the Peoples Front (PF) in the aborted Third Republic and the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) in this Fourth Republic , before he joined us in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

"He was a good Muslim with a compassionate heart. I urge other Nigerians to learn from the deceased's virtues of compassion and humility."

While urging his son, Senator Bukola Saraki, to emulate his father, he called on the people of Kwara to give him all the support to be able to fill in the giant shoes left behind by his father."