The senator who represented the Nasarawa North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Godiya Akwashiki, has died at the age of 52. Journalists were informed by family sources on Thursday that Mr. Akwashiki passed away on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at an Indian hospital where he was undergoing treatment for a protracted illness. Since his reelection in 2023, the senator has been ill and has spent time in hospitals in Nigeria, the UK, and India. His precise illness was yet unknown.
As the only senator from Nasarawa North to win two consecutive terms since the state's founding, Mr. Akwashiki was first elected to the Senate in 2019 and was re-elected for a second term. He belonged to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Mr. Akwashiki served several times in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly before being elected to the Senate. There, he advanced through the ranks to become Majority Leader and then Deputy Speaker.
Mr. Akwashiki was well-known for his solid grassroots political foundation and emphasis on constituency-driven initiatives. He was born in Angba Iggah, Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, on August 3, 1973.
He participated in oversight and legislative projects pertaining to infrastructure, youth empowerment, education, and rural development throughout the Nasarawa North Senatorial District while serving in the Senate.
His impact in state and national politics, as well as his involvement in increasing residents' access to social and economic opportunities, have led political associates and community leaders throughout the district to characterise his passing as a major loss.
