The member representing Andoni/Opobo–Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State in the House of Representatives, Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante, has said the death of his wife had reinforced his belief that life and political power are empty.
Speaking at the Service of Songs held in Abuja for his late wife, Agnes Nwakaego Abiante, the lawmaker said her passing had re-emphasised the emptiness of worldly pursuits.
“Life is empty. Even politics is empty,” he said, explaining that nothing people fight over in public life holds any real value in the face of death. “These legacies… it’s not just one. We pray that God gives us the grace to sustain them. Her death re-emphasises that life is empty.
“It should lead those of us, especially those who wield political power, to understand the futility of it all. To understand how senile we have been while fighting for power. How useless power can be. Because if it was power, I am sure I would have called a few persons and she would have been back. If it was resources, even if I don’t have, I have those who can help me. It shows how worthless the things men fight over can be.”
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He described his wife as kind, humble, peaceful and accessible to all, regardless of status. “There was no class distinction with her. She listened to people even when I was too busy. People from my community will tell you—if you need anything from Honorable, meet the wife,” he said.
An emotional Abiante said her support at home helped him serve effectively in parliament. “If you don’t have a good home, you can’t be productive outside. She gave me peace and encouraged me,” he said, adding that she was an entrepreneur and a tailor who worked with her hands and was not dependent on him.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who attended with several lawmakers, said the House had felt Abiante’s absence in recent weeks and only understood the reason after the news of his loss.
Kalu described the late Mrs. Abiante as a quiet but powerful influence who shaped the life of her husband, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, and supported his work as a federal lawmaker.
He noted that Abiante is one of the most fearless and respected debaters in the House, adding that his temporary withdrawal from national duties showed the depth of the pain he was carrying.
“It has been a troubled time,” Kalu said. “Many people kept asking questions, but today we know why.”
The Deputy Speaker said Mrs. Abiante possessed the rare ability to calm and guide a strong-willed husband without force.
“She must have been a lioness in her quiet spirit,” he said. “Not many women can deal with Abiante. He is a strong man, and you don’t control a strong man with strength but with softness.”
Kalu told the family that the turnout at the Service of Songs was proof of the impact the late Mrs. Abiante had, even in death.
He assured Abiante that the House would stand by him, saying, “More people will be there to support you because you have always been there for all of us.”
He urged the children to pay attention to the lessons from their mother’s life, urging them to cherish the values she left behind.
Describing her as graceful and gentle, Kalu said testimonies from the National Assembly community reflected her character.
He commended Abiante for loving his wife until her last moments, noting that it should serve as a lesson to other men.
Kalu prayed for strength for the lawmaker and his children, adding that the late Mrs. Abiante departed “happily to be with her Lord.”
He said the turnout at the Service of Songs reflected the impact of the family and assured Abiante that more lawmakers would be present at the burial.
He prayed for comfort for the family and urged them to hold onto the lessons from her life.
Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, Leke Abejide, who served with Abiante in both the Ninth and Tenth Assemblies, prayed for God’s comfort for the family.
Abejide said he and Abiante had worked closely, serving together in committee assignments and maintaining strong personal ties.
He said Abiante kept the severity of his wife’s health challenges private for a long time, even from close colleagues.
“One day, I didn’t see him and he told me his wife was sick,” Abejide said. “He had not been telling anybody. He just wanted to confirm it. I picked interest from there.”
Abejide said he continued to check on the family until the night of her death, when Abiante reached out to him first.
“I was the first person he called when the woman passed away,” he said. “That night I was with him till midnight and I have always been with him.”
He described the death of Mrs. Abiante at the age of 52 as painful, especially because she left behind very young children.
“It is a painful exit,” he said. “The woman left a child of maybe two to three months old. We cannot do anything but to pray for him.”
Abejide praised her character and the devotion Abiante showed throughout her illness.
He prayed that God would comfort the family and give strength to the children and their father.
“God will console him and comfort him,” he said. “That is all we can ask for.”
The couple’s daughter, Esther Awajiokanuche Abiante, said her mother was a lot of things to her, especially a confidant.
“My mom was my best friend,” she said. “She was the nicest woman I’ve ever known. She made herself someone I could talk to not just as a mother but as a friend.”
She said her mother supported her dreams without hesitation.
“I told her I wanted to start a baking or restaurant business; she told me she would support me no matter what. I told her I wanted to study medicine; she said I should go for it,” she said.
Esther described her mother as kind, generous and ever supportive.
“She still is, to me, in my heart and how I remember her. She is everything to me. She’s my everything and she always will be.”
Mrs. Abiante will be laid to rest in Rivers State.