Elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has died at the age of 97.
His passing was confirmed in a statement released on Tuesday by a family representative, Prof. C. C. Clark.
“The Clark-Fuludu Bekederemo family of Kiagbodo Town, Delta State, announces the passing of Chief (Dr.) Sen. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, OFR, CON, on Monday, 17th February 2025. The family appreciates your prayers at this time. Further details will be communicated later,” the statement read.
Clark’s demise follows closely after that of Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, who died recently at 96. Both men were instrumental in Nigeria’s political evolution.
In 2022, Clark and Adebanjo attended the Greater Nigeria Conference in Abuja, advocating for a Nigerian president from the Southeast in the 2023 elections. The event was organized by Nzuko Umunna, a global Igbo think tank.
A prominent nationalist and advocate for the Niger Delta, Clark was a lawyer, administrator, and freedom fighter. He served as Commissioner for Education in the Mid-Western Region (1968–1971) and later as Commissioner for Finance and Establishment in the defunct Bendel State (1972–1975). At the federal level, he was Commissioner for Information in 1975 and later a Senator (1979–1983).
Beyond politics, he was a strong voice for national unity and played a key role in mediating conflicts in the Niger Delta.