The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Augustus Nana Akwasi, has described the death of the Ahafo Ano South West District Chief Executive, Abubakar Sedik, as a devastating blow to the party and people in the district.

According to him, the late DCE had distinguished himself through his exceptional performance within the short period he served in office, earning him the confidence and admiration of many residents.

Nana Akwasi said the late Abubakar Sedik’s growing popularity and remarkable achievements had positioned him as a strong contender to win the Ahafo Ano South West parliamentary seat for the NDC in the 2028 election.

He, however, lamented that death had abruptly cut short what he described as a promising political future.

Speaking to Adom News during the final funeral rites of the late DCE, Chairman Nana Akwasi said the huge crowd that gathered to mourn him was a clear reflection of the impact he had made in the lives of the people.

“The crowd gathered here to bid him farewell symbolises who he was and the love and trust the people of Ahafo Ano South West had for him. Indeed, a great pillar has fallen,” he said emotionally.

Nana Akwasi said the NDC would struggle to find someone capable of filling the vacuum created by the death of the late DCE.

He described Abubakar Sedik as a committed party man and an effective leader whose contribution to the NDC went beyond his position as DCE.

The Regional Chairman noted that before his appointment as DCE and his emergence as the NDC parliamentary candidate for the Ahafo Ano South West constituency in the 2024 elections, Abubakar Sedik had served two terms as the constituency chairman.

According to him, the late DCE distinguished himself during his tenure as constituency chairman by resolving party challenges before they escalated to the regional level.

“Abubakar was very wise. During his tenure as chairman, I did not have to come to the constituency to solve any problem. Before I heard about the problem, he would have resolved it. Indeed, he was wise, and the party has lost a great person. The NDC will forever remember him,” he added.

At the final burial service, a large number of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), NDC supporters, traditional leaders and sympathisers gathered to pay their last respects to the late DCE.

The Kumasi Mayor, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, also mourned the loss, describing the late Abubakar Sedik as a leader who had contributed significantly to the development of his district.

He said the late DCE had a promising future in politics, but his sudden death had brought those aspirations to an abrupt end.

“His future in politics was promising, but no one can challenge God. May his soul rest in perfect peace,” he said.

The atmosphere at Mankranso was filled with grief as hundreds of mourners struggled to hold back their tears while bidding farewell to a DCE whose tenure, though brief, had left a significant mark on the district.

For the people of Mankranso and the NDC, the funeral was not only a farewell to a District Chief Executive but also a painful goodbye to a young political figure whose ambitions and future were cut short by death.

The community was engulfed in sorrow as family members, residents, party supporters, colleagues and sympathisers paid their final respects to Abubakar Sedik.