The late Senate President, Dr. Joseph Wayas, is set to return to Nigeria soon for burial, according to THE BEAGLE NEWS.Dr. Wayas served as Nigeria’s Senate President during the Second Republic from 1979 to 1983, representing the northern Cross River senatorial district alongside Senator Joseph Oqua Ansa, who represented the Calabar senatorial district.
Known for his close rapport with President Shehu Shagari, Wayas ensured that bills were thoroughly discussed and agreed upon before introduction.
In the lead-up to the 1983 elections, Wayas led the NPN party’s “Lagos Group,” advocating for a change of governor in Cross River State, opposing the “Home Front” led by then-governor Clement Isong.
However, the military coup staged by General Muhammadu Buhari on New Year’s Eve of 1983 removed him from office along with other members of Shagari’s administration. After going into exile, he returned in 1987 and was detained between 1987 and 1988.
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Wayas played a significant role as Deputy Chairman of the 1994/1995 National Constitutional Conference Commission and was later a founding member of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) in 1998 before joining the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2001.
Appointed as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA), Wayas was honored with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010.
He advocated for Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to act as President in January 2010 while President Umaru Yar’Adua was ill.Wayas strongly believed in true federalism as the solution to Nigeria’s democratic challenges.
