President Bola Tinubu has joined the world and the people of the United States to mourn the passing of civil rights icon and Baptist preacher, Rev. Jesse Jackson.
He recalled how he witnessed Jackson helped to facilitate the American dream when he (Tinubu) was a student in Chicago in the 1970s.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.
Jackson died on Tuesday at the age of 84.
Tinubu described Jackson as a servant-leader who captured global imagination as a young activist alongside civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr.
He said Jackson fought for the dignity of black people, the oppressed and the voiceless in the United States and across the world.
The president said Jackson became a national and global icon who demanded improved social and economic conditions for African-Americans.
Tinubu said Jackson carried on the unfinished work of Martin Luther King Jr. in the struggle for racial justice.
“As a student in the United States in the 1970s, I lived in Chicago, the same city where Reverend Jackson fought the most important battles against injustice,” he said.
“I witnessed firsthand how, as a faithful servant of God and humanity, he pointed the arc of American society to the great promise of the American dream.”
Tinubu said Jackson was influential in American politics and global affairs, and helped pave the way for Barack Obama’s emergence as the first Black American president.
“When Barack Obama broke the glass ceiling as the first Black President in America, it was Rev. Jackson who first inflicted the cracks on the ceiling in 1984 and again in 1988,” he said.
The president said Jackson was a great friend of Nigeria and Africa and a formidable voice against apartheid in South Africa.
He said Jackson played a leading role in campaigns for the release of Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress leaders.
Tinubu said Jackson also defended human rights and democratic rule during Nigeria’s era of military dictatorship.
He recalled that Jackson served as Special Envoy appointed by President Bill Clinton to Nigeria and Africa in 1997 and 1999.
The president said Jackson promoted civil liberties and helped link African leaders with the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus to advance Africa’s interests.
Tinubu said Jackson remained a strong voice for justice and human progress, urging people to “keep hope alive”.
He prayed for the repose of Jackson’s soul.
