Returning from an international tour that included attending the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican and academic engagements in the United States, Peter Obi immediately plunged into a solemn homecoming—one marked by grief, remembrance, and national reflection.

The former presidential candidate joined Nigerians in mourning some of the country’s most distinguished citizens, attending their funerals and offering heartfelt tributes that underscored their lifelong service to justice, development, and truth.

Among them was Pa Ayo Adebanjo, a moral force in Nigerian politics and a symbol of unyielding courage. Obi was present at his Night of Tributes in Lagos on April 30th, his lying-in-state on May 1st, and the final burial in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, on May 3rd. “He was never afraid to stand alone, as long as he stood on truth,” Obi said.

In Lagos and Egbu, Imo State, Obi honoured Mr. Pascal Dozie, an economic trailblazer who empowered generations through visionary banking and enterprise. “He invested not just in business, but in people and possibilities,” Obi said.

Obi also paid respects to Chief Dubem Onyia, a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at his funeral in Enugu, describing him as “a voice of diplomacy, fairness, and deep commitment to national unity.”

In Lagos, he bid farewell to Professor Olufunmilayo Yetunde Oloruntimehin, a towering academic figure whose work in sociology, he noted, “shaped how we understand ourselves and our society.”

In his final reflection, Obi offered prayers for the eternal rest of the departed and a stirring message for the living:

“These lives were beacons of what Nigeria can be. May we honour them not just in memory, but in the Nigeria we choose to build—a just, united, and compassionate nation that is POssible.”