Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, a former Federal Commissioner for Information and notable South-South leader, died at the age of 97. The senior statesman died on Monday night, February 17, 2025, according to a statement signed by Prof. C.C. Clark on behalf of the family.
“The Clark-Fuludu Bekederemo family of Kiagbodo Town, Delta State, wishes to announce the loss of Chief (Dr.) Sen. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, OFR,CON, on Monday, February 17, 2025. The family would appreciate your prayers at this time.
The family will release additional details later, according to the statement. Clark’s death comes just days after Pa Ayo Adebanjo, the Afenifere leader, died at the age of 96. Clark was a lawyer, administrator, patriot, and freedom warrior who stood out in Nigerian politics as a tireless defender for the rights of the Niger Delta.
He was Commissioner for Education in the Mid-Western Region from 1968 to 1971, and then Commissioner for Finance and Establishment in the former Bendel State from 1972 to 1975. At the federal level, he was named Commissioner of Information in 1975 and later Senator from 1979 to 1983.
Aside from his political career, Clark was a strong advocate for regional and national unification. He led the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the South-South Peoples Assembly, and the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF).
His campaign for resource control, fiscal federalism, and the development of Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta area gained him national fame and respect across the country’s geopolitical split.
