642
Second Republic Senate president, Dr Joseph Wayas is dead. He died in London on November 30th, 2021.
Family sources did not disclose the cause of death but there are speculations that the late Senator had not been in good health for a while.
Joseph Wayas was president of the Nigerian senate from 1979 to 1983 when the second Republic was truncated by a military coup which eventually brought in then Major General Muhammadu Buhari as Head of State.
He was the first Senate president to act as president of Nigeria. That was in 1983 following the absence of President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari and his vice, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, who both travelled outside the country.
He acted for sixteen days. Dr. Wayas is the second Senate president to come from the South-South. The first was Chief Dennis Chukude Osadebay (1911-1994) from Asaba.
Dr. Joseph Wayas was the first Senate president to have been re-elected to the position. That was in 1983. The second is David Alechenu Mark.