The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has declared a seven-day period of solemn regional mourning in honour of veteran diplomat, media icon, and elder statesman Ambassador Dr. Patrick Dele Cole, following his passing in London on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the age of 86.
​The regional mourning period commenced on Sunday, October 18, 2026, and will run through Saturday, October 24, 2026. In an official statement issued in Abuja, PANDEF National Chairman Ambassador Dr. Godknows Igali announced the directives on behalf of the Board of Trustees, led by Chief Edwin Clark and the National Executive Committee.
Under these protocol guidelines, all social, celebratory, and non-essential public activities across PANDEF state chapters in the South-South geopolitical zone have been suspended.
Furthermore, all official communications, digital channels, and social media platforms operated by the forum will prominently display the portrait of the late leader alongside official condolences.
State chapters will also host memorial observances, prayer sessions, and open registers of condolence at PANDEF secretariats in Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Uyo, Calabar, Asaba, and Benin City.
​During the press briefing, Dr. Igali described Chief Dele Cole as an intellectual titan, an unyielding voice for equity, and a foundational pillar of PANDEF whose lifetime of public service deeply enriched both the Niger Delta region and the country at large.
​The announcement of his passing in the British capital has prompted a nationwide wave of tributes from prominent leaders across the political and diplomatic spectrum.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo issued a heartfelt statement commending Dr. Cole’s extensive contributions to public administration, journalism, and international relations, specifically highlighting his instrumental diplomatic efforts during Nigeria’s Paris Club debt relief negotiations.
Similarly, former Delta State Governor Chief James Onanefe Ibori paid tribute to Cole’s courageous advocacy for fiscal federalism, resource rights, and sustainable development throughout the South-South zone.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also joined in condoling the family, emphasizing Cole’s influential public service career as Managing Director of the Daily Times of Nigeria, Senior Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs, and Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil.
​The apex socio-political body formally extended its condolences to the bereaved family, including his son, businessman and politician Mr. Tonye Cole, alongside the royal elders of Abonnema, the Kalabari Kingdom, and the government and people of Rivers State.
Final funeral arrangements and official commemorative services are expected to be announced in due course following consultations with the Cole family.
